


Masque Mystérieux

by loving_desperation



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Masquerade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2018-04-30 23:46:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 64,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5184272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loving_desperation/pseuds/loving_desperation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The school's masquerade ball is approaching, and things are rather quiet, if not a little odd, in Paris. The akuma have been appearing less and less frequently, but something sinister is stirring under the calm facade. Something that is as ancient as Tikki and Plagg themselves, and something that will push Chat Noir and Ladybug to their limits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was inspired by all the masquerade stuff in the tags and through my own ideas and theories. The show and characters of Miraculous Ladybug belong to their creator.

“Masquerade? Seriously that is so cliché! Couldn’t they have come up with something else?” Alya’s half-hearted complaint was mingled with a poorly disguised undertone of excitement. Smiling at her friend knowingly, Marinette nudged her friend’s arm with her own.

“You’re ridiculously excited aren’t you, Alya?” Marinette teased.

“Of course I am! A ballroom filled with mysterious masks and enchantment for an entire night? Not knowing who you may be dancing with, oh it’s so cliché but I love it!” Alya was already frantically typing away at her phone, no doubt updating her blog about the school’s upcoming dance.

“It does sound fun,” Marinette sighed dreamily, trotting down the steps of their school as they left for the day. Her imagination was already running away with thoughts of being swept up by a masked stranger. Hopefully one that wasn’t so strange and perhaps had gorgeous blonde hair.

As if reading her mind, Alya poked Marinette’s face and giggled at her friend’s dumbstruck expression.

“I know exactly who _you’re_ hoping will be there,” Alya drawled, nodding her head in the direction of the street. Sure enough, there was Adrien, beautiful and sweet Adrien, climbing into the car that had come to pick him up from school that day.

“I would tell you to ask him to the dance, but you would probably just end up spluttering and stammering like usual,” Alya teased. At Marinette’s distressed look, her friend turned sympathetic and looped an arm across Marinette’s shoulders.

“You know one of these days, you’ll be able to get a full sentence out in front of him, Mari,” Alya encouraged. “But until that day comes, let’s talk dresses for the ball.”

Immediately, Marinette perked up and started rummaging through her school bag. Producing her pink sketchbook from the clutter, she began rapidly flipping through the pages. Most of them were filled with hastily done sketches, various scribbles and half-worked ideas. But there were a few pages that had fully worked designs and some were even colored in with extra attention to detail.

“Oh, I’ve already had the perfect idea for your dress! I’m still trying to figure out a few of the details, but maybe I could get your opinion on them, since it will be your dress after all. I think you’re going to _love_ it!”

Finding the correct page, Marinette tilted the sketchbook towards Alya, her friend moving closer to get a better look. Gasping, Alya gripped Marinette’s arm and squealed with obvious delight at the unfinished sketch.

“Oh, Marinette! You would make that for me?” Alya was positively beaming with joy as she gave a few excited bounces, stilling clinging to her friend’s arm.

“Of course I would! As soon as I heard what the theme was, I had the idea right away!”

“You’re such a dear! Oh this is going to be so much fun! I’m so excited!” Alya was practically squealing between every other word, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she continued to update her blog. Pausing in her typing, Alya looked up at Marinette expectantly.

“Wait, what about you? You’re going to be making your own dress, right? Let me see it!”

Flashing her friend a mysterious grin, Marinette shut her book and tucked it away in her bag. Alya gave her an incredulous look, about to protest before Marinette promptly cut her off.

“It’s going to be a surprise! I can’t have you blogging about my best design, now can I?” Marinette felt a little self-conscious about talking her design up like this to Alya, but she couldn’t help herself. She really loved the idea she had come up with for her own dress.

“Your _best design_?” Alya asked in surprise. “Well now I have to see it! Give me that book of yours!”

Marinette squeaked and ducked out of Alya’s grasp, laughing as her friend continued to chase her down the streets of Paris. They made their way back to the bakery, weaving around Marinette’s parents as Alya continued to try and get the sketchbook.

“Just a peak!”

“Absolutely not! It’s a surprise!”

“That isn’t fair!”

“Too bad!”

“Hello girls!” Marinette’s father cut across them as they stared each other down from opposite sides of a display case.

“Hello, papa!” Marinette giggled, dashing over to leave a kiss on her father’s cheek before flying up the stairs to the loft apartment above. Alya threw him a greeting before quickly following her friend upstairs.

“They’re as lively as ever,” Marinette’s mother laughed. She sidled her way into the bakery, maneuvering a tray of steaming baguettes out from the kitchen. She deposited the tray onto the countertop and left a kiss on her husband’s cheek as well. Following the girls upstairs to Marinette’s room, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng gave them each a small plate of goodies.

“Marinette,” she gently cut across the girls’ chatter. “I went out bought you that fabric you asked for while you were home for lunch. It’s downstairs in the living room when you get the chance to bring it up.”

“Oh thank you, mama!” Marinette sprung to her feet and gave her mother a fleeting hug. She rushed downstairs, only to reappear moments later with the load of fabric piled in her arms.

“What do you think of the colors, Alya?” Marinette eagerly asked her friend, spreading the material across her bedroom floor, her mother retreating back down to the bakery.

“Oh!” Alya gushed over the colors, taking her time with holding each one in her hands, feeling the material, testing the weight of the fabric and holding swatches up to the light. She and Marinette compared some of them side-by-side, layering them upon each other and debating which colors should go where on the dress. They poured over the embellishments and the details, whether Alya should have a clutch to match and how the mask would look. They went on and on for almost two hours before Marinette’s mother reappeared, giving them a gentle reminder that they still had homework to complete.

Nearly two hours later, the sun dipping towards the horizon and beginning to cast the sky with the colors of sunset, Alya stood from her seat. She leisurely stretched her arms over her head, her shoulders and elbows giving a satisfying pop.

“I should probably head home. My mother will have dinner ready soon and I should be there to help her set up and wrangle together my siblings.”

Marinette walked Alya out, giving her a brief hug at the door to the bakery before returning upstairs, settling down with her parents for her own meal. They peppered her with questions about school, the ball, and the dresses she was making. Not unlike Alya, Marinette’s parents tried to get their daughter to tell them about the design for her own dress, but Marinette’s lips were sealed shut.

“It’s a surprise! You will all see it when it’s finished!”

After dinner, Marinette retreated to her room to begin working on the dresses. While she worked, her hands flew around, cutting fabric and sewing stitches. Her mind was entirely zeroed in on her work that she hardly noticed the passing time. It wasn’t until Tikki practically flew into the side of her head that Marinette finally looked up from her work.

“Marinette!” Tikki’s voice shrilled next to the girl’s ear.

“Ah!” Marinette flinched and dropped the fabric she had been hand-stitching. Immediately, the girl’s slender finger was tucked between her lips, sucking at the spot she had pricked with her needle. Looking over at her kwami, Marinette shot Tikki an indignant look.

“What was that for?” Marinette mumbled around her finger. She began rummaging around for a bandage while Tikki hovered nearby.

“Sorry, Marinette,” Tikki squeaked quickly. “But don’t you have to meet up with Chat Noir for your patrol? If we don’t leave soon, you’re going to be late!”

Securing the little bright pink bandage around her finger, Marinette checked her phone, the display indeed confirming that she was behind schedule. Scrambling to her feet, Marinette started packing away the half-made dresses and extra material.

“Tikki! Transform me!” Marinette cried, brushing the loose strands of hair away from her earrings. A few moments and a pink flash later, Ladybug launched herself from the open skylight of the bakery and swung across the rooftops.

The sun had set almost an hour ago, Paris now living up to it’s nickname, the city of lights. Every street seemed to be awash in the golden glow of streetlamps and storefronts, the main drags still bustling with civilians and tourists. Ladybug swung high and undisturbed above the tangled mess of cars and foot traffic, making her way towards the Eiffel Tower. The structure stood tall and bright, the lights lit and outlining its metal frame. The little lanterns bathed the open sprawl around the tower in a romantic, and entirely mis-en-scene, golden light.

Swinging about halfway up the tower, Ladybug landed lightly on one of the support beams, the metal cool beneath her feet as she took in the view. Paris was sprawled before her, the view breathtaking in the evening light. She could see the nearly full moon climbing it’s way up into the sky from where she stood, shining it’s silver light down towards the golden glow of Paris.

“Beautiful evening, isn’t it?”

Ladybug jumped, somehow maintaining her footing on the beam, as Chat Noir spoke, dropping down beside her with his usual grin. As always, he scooped her hand up in his and pressed his lips to her knuckles. No matter how many times he did it, Ladybug never seemed to be able to stop him. So she simply rolled her eyes and indulged him for a moment before pulling her hand back.

“Sorry to frighten you, My Lady,” Chat apologized impishly, crouching in a very cat-like manner. He took in the view of the city as she had before glancing back up at his Lady.

“Do you think we’ll find any akuma tonight? It’s been fairly quiet recently. And I’m not complaining, but don’t you think it’s getting a bit suspicious?”

Ladybug nodded her head in agreement, tearing her gaze from the city to meet Chat’s expectant eyes. Chat’s eyes were always a ridiculously vibrant green, but they looked positively luminescent and feline in the evening glow.

“HawkMoth _has_ been awfully quiet and it’s starting to worry me. But on the bright side, not staying out as late has allowed me to catch up on some much needed sleep,” Ladybug stretched her arms over her head to emphasize her point.

Chat chuckled and rose from his hunched position, arching his back as he stretched alongside his companion.

“I can’t argue with you there, My Lady. However, that does mean I get to spend less time with you, and that’s not very enjoyable for me.”

Ladybug smirked and looked sideways at her partner, drawling an, “Oh I’m sure,” before winking and tossing her yo-yo. The weapon wrapped around a nearby chimney and pulled taught, awaiting Ladybug’s weight so she could fly across the rooftops.

“We better get started on our patrol, kitty. Paris can’t wait forever.” Ladybug waited just long enough to receive a quirky, two-finger salute from her partner before she flung herself from the Tower.

The wind rushed past her face, the cool air pinching her cheeks and slicing through her hair. Ladybug felt weightless, her stomach dropping slightly like it always did with the first drop on her wild ride. The first few times she had done this, Ladybug had whooped with exhilaration, unused to such a liberating and thrilling feeling. Even now, after months of practice and routine, she still felt the urge to shout her joy to all of France.

After a few minutes of swinging about and scanning the mundane streets below, Ladybug came to a graceful halt atop one roof. She was across the street from an old, abandon looking warehouse, it’s windows boarded up. There were signs along the ground level brick walls, saying something about demolition and remodeling within the next month.

She had no idea why she paused here, but something was definitely off.

Minutes passed with no disturbances, and Ladybug prepared to keep going. She still had to meet back up with Chat, and if she hung around here much longer she was going to keep him waiting.

As if on cue, one of the boarded windows on the upper floor splintered and cracked, the wood and glass groaning with an invisible pressure. A strange purple flash followed the noise, something Ladybug knew to be an akuma transformation. Sliding open her yo-yo, Ladybug called Chat, who picked up almost immediately.

“Everything alright, My Lady?” his familiar voice purred through Ladybug’s device.

“I’m not sure,” she answered, her voice steady but cautious. “I think I’ve found an akuma and I may need backup. I’m going in to check it out.” Ladybug quickly relayed her location to Chat, taking care to reassure him that she was okay.

After hanging up, Ladybug swung across the street, perching silently on the dilapidated roof before turning to peer over the edge at the splintered window. The glow was gone, but there were muffled sounds – was that humming? – coming from inside.

Ladybug secured her yo-yo to the edge of the roof before sliding down the side, latching her toes into the grooves between the bricks for balance. Peering through the gaps between the boards, Ladybug strained to see in the dim lighting of the musty room. There in the corner of the room, rummaging about – and yes that _was_ humming that she had heard – was a figure clad in an old-fashioned dress. Ladybug couldn’t see very much of what they were doing, but they seemed harmless enough, so she decided to go in.

Bracing herself against the wall, Ladybug pushed against the already weakened glass and boards, the barrier giving away rather easily, allowing her to tumble into the room. Moonlight and city lights poured in through the now open window frame, throwing an elongated square of light onto the floor.

“Stop right there!” Ladybug called out to the figure, dropping into a defensive stance. She could see a little better now, but the room was still very dim and she had trouble making out the finer details of her surroundings.

The figure whirled around in surprise, revealing an older woman, slightly hunched with her age but still very much able to move about. She must have been about seventy years old, and Ladybug paused in confusion. HawkMoth had possessed adults before, but why would he choose someone so elderly to fight against two teenagers? Pushing past her confusion, Ladybug eyed the woman.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Ladybug demanded, her voice a little less fierce than before.

The woman looked down at the object in her hands before clutching it to her chest. She was wearing a dress that looked a lot like something Ladybug had seen in one of her school textbooks when they were learning about the 1940s. The colors however, purples and whites and blacks, were HawkMoth’s trademark.

The woman had fear in her eyes, looking more sad than angry than most akuma she faced. Ladybug was even more confused than before.

“They can’t take it from me,” the old woman muttered, taking a step back and pressing the object even closer to her chest. Ladybug still couldn’t make out what _it_ was exactly, but it was obviously very precious to the woman.

“I used to come and dance here when I was your age,” the woman looked up at Ladybug, making eye contact with her for the first time. “We would wait until the factory had closed up for the evening, all the bosses had gone home. Then we would open the doors and we would come and use the open space for dancing. Sometimes we danced on the sewing tables or pushed them away for more room.” The woman paused to sigh wistfully before she continued, “We always had so much fun here…it’s a shame they’re going to tear this place down…so many fond memories…before the war started that is.”

Here the woman paused again to gaze around, her eyes raking over the musty room and raising to the ceiling as if there was more to see up there. All Ladybug could spot was a small hole that had probably held a light fixture at one point.

“This place was abandoned once the bombing started and it’s a miracle it’s still here. My father left to fight and my mother sent me out to the country for safety. I only just got back to Paris a decade ago. It took me that long to remember I had left this here,” she murmured, holding the object out so she could look at it.

Ladybug watched the woman for a moment, not entirely sure how to respond to this unprecedented situation. Deciding to take a couple steps forward, she latched her yo-yo onto her belt and reached out.

“May I see it?” she asked softly.

The woman eyed her warily. Ladybug half expected the usual purple butterfly outline to appear over her face, the sign of HawkMoth instructing the woman to turn on Ladybug.

But nothing happened.

The woman simply held out the object, what Ladybug could now see was an old and somewhat ornate picture frame. Moving slightly closer, Ladybug tilted her head to the side so she could get a better view of the photo inside.

Her breath caught in her throat, the image very beautiful, but very saddening. Ladybug knew that HawkMoth’s akuma was inside the photograph, but she hated that she would have to destroy it in front of the woman. Even if it would be fixed afterwards by her magic, breaking this precious photo seemed just plain cruel.

“Ma’am…” she said softly. “I need to free the akuma inside of that frame. If you will let me see it, I promise you will get it back in one piece once I’m finished.”

The older woman didn’t move for a couple of moments, long enough that Ladybug wondered if she was going to trust her. But just when Ladybug was contemplating taking the picture from the old lady by force, she reluctantly handed the frame over to Ladybug.

“Thank you,” Ladybug breathed, taking the object with trembling hands. She placed the frame on the floor and winced as she drove her heal into the glass. The strangled noise the woman made was more than enough to make Ladybug feel like she had just hit the woman across the face.

“It’s alright,” Ladybug comforted her, voice trembling despite her assurances. Snatching up her yo-yo from her hip and opening it up, Ladybug took a steadying breath and tried to focus. “Time to cleanse the evil.”

The akuma was easy to catch; Ladybug didn’t even feel the need to victoriously call out her catchphrase as she released the shimmering butterfly from her yo-yo. Although she hadn’t had the need to use her Lucky Charm, Ladybug scooped up the frame and held it carefully as the glass was magically pieced back together and fused whole again.

When she looked up at the old woman, she found that the akuma outfit had worn away to be replaced by modern day clothing. The woman looked around the decaying room with mild confusion, until her eyes landed on Ladybug.

“Oh! Hello, young lady. I see you’ve found my photo. I’ve been looking for that.” Her smile was genuine, but Ladybug could see that she was still very saddened by her surroundings.

Pulling a smile of her own onto her lips, Ladybug knew that the woman had no memory of anything that had just happened. She handed the photo over to the woman, saying as brightly as she could, “Oh, yes! It was on the floor over there. It’s such a lovely photo. Is that you there?”

The woman grew quiet, tracing her fingers slowly down the ridges and bumps of the patterned frame. A tiny smile played at her aged face, even though her eyes were glimmering with tears. She nodded before she spoke. Ladybug listened patiently as she was retold the story from moments ago. But her attention perked up again when the woman kept speaking.

“Back then, I was very good at dancing and I was very popular among the boys. But there was only one that really knew me. He called me his “lune”, because my mother named me Selena, for the moon. He was the only one…who ever bothered to learn my name.”

Selena looked up at Ladybug, her eyes swimming with tears, even as she fought to smile. “He was drafted in the war,” she sobbed. “Ma chère…sent off to fight when he was hardly a man’s age. I never saw him again after I was sent to the countryside. I don’t think he made it through the war.”

Ladybug moved to wrap her arm around the woman’s shoulders, hugging her sideways as she cried over the portrait. The photo had faded with age, the coloring dull and brownish in hue, but two figures, one of them Selena and the other her love, were embracing each other in a hug and beaming at the photographer. They stood outside the warehouse in formal attire on a sunny day. Ladybug couldn’t help but think that this must have been before the war started, before they had any worries and thought they would be together forever.

“I’m so sorry, Selena,” Ladybug said sympathetically. “But maybe one day you will find out what happened to him. For now, we should get you home.”

Selena showed Ladybug the way she had taken to get upstairs. Once they were back out on the street, Chat dropped down from the rooftops, panting out an apology about how he had been on the other side of the city when Ladybug called. She waved away his questions about how she had defeated the akuma and promised him an explanation once Selena was on her way home.

Minutes later, Ladybug and Chat waved to Selena as she climbed aboard a bus that would take her home. The duo raced each other back to the Eiffel Tower, sprawling lazily across the beams once they had climbed their way up. As they sat catching their breath, Chat finally turned his attention to Ladybug.

“So, what exactly happened? There’s no way that old woman was a threat.”

“Well you’re right about that,” Ladybug agreed, reaching up to twirl a loose strand of hair around her finger as she lounged against a support beam. She recounted Chat with her story, not leaving out any details, her gaze wandering across Paris’ skyline the whole time she spoke. She could feel Chat’s gaze on her, not at all unnerving, as she knew he was really listening to her.

“I just…” Ladybug hesitated before continuing, finally making eye contact with Chat as she freed her hair from her twirling finger. “I don’t get it,” she finally settled on saying.

“What don’t you get?” Chat asked curiously, pulling his dangling legs from over the edge and tucking them into a crossed position.

“HawkMoth usually goes after those who are angry, those who have a real drive to go against us. Not to mention he usually picks more agile people as well.” Her comment drew a snort from Chat and she couldn’t help but grin a little as well.

“But this time…Selena wasn’t angry, despite her having every right to be. She was more just sad. She just wanted to find her old photo and mourn. Why was she possessed? It doesn’t make any sense to me. She didn’t even once mention our miraculous either!”

As Chat seemed to ponder her points, Ladybug bit her lip, wondering if she should continue voicing her suspicions. Chat noticed her expression and his look turned curious, prompting her to continue.

“It was too easy,” Ladybug blurted out. “I can’t help but feel like HawkMoth did that on purpose, like he was trying to distract us. He’s been quiet for a while, not possessing anyone and then just drops this easy victory in our laps. It has to be a distraction, like he’s planning something but wants us to think that everything is just carrying on as normal.”

Ladybug felt Chat touch her shoulder, drawing her back down from the hysteria she was working herself into. Taking a deep breath, Ladybug gave him a nod, indicating that she was calm now.

“Maybe he was just thinking that Selena would possess more anger than she had in her. Perhaps it was all the love inside of her that she felt that kept her anger tame. We don’t know for sure, My Lady. But I can tell you that we do know we are both okay and Paris is safe for now. We should probably make our way home before we spend the whole night out here. Besides, it’s getting cold now that the holidays are upon us.”

Ladybug sighed, knowing that Chat was right. She was so worked up over everything that she had nearly forgotten that she still had a normal life in the morning. And she hadn’t even realized how cold it had gotten around them.

“You’re right, Chat. I’ve been so worked up over getting ready for this school dance that’s coming up and making sure I don’t fall behind with homework…I’m just getting in a little over my head, trying to make this situation with HawkMoth worse.”

“A school dance?” Chat inquired, obviously trying to take Ladybug’s mind off of more stressful topics. “My school’s having one soon, too! Maybe if we knew each other on the opposite sides of our masks we could go together!” Chat raised an eyebrow at his companion and winked.

Ladybug laughed and rolled her eyes, giving him a playful shove before standing and stretching. She tried to work some warmth back into her lower limbs, the cold beam of the Tower not helping with the cold air around them.

“Yes, well I’m pretty sure that a big flirt like you has got plenty of other options for a dance,” Ladybug teased, unhooking her yo-yo from her hip as she prepared to head home. Her earring was beeping with warning, telling her that she had to move quickly. Chat’s ring was normal, from what Ladybug could tell. Of course, it was only because she had used her powers that she was beginning to run out of time.

“Well, My Lady, if you must know, I would never flirt with another girl if it would make you happy.”

With that, Chat Noir gave a graceful bow and a sly wink before launching away in the opposite direction. Ladybug was left standing on the Eiffel Tower with her mouth agape. She really couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, but that was not something she had the luxury to dwell on at the moment. Her miraculous beeped again, more urgently this time as Tikki spoke in her head.

_Marinette! You’re acting like you do around Adrien! If you don’t hurry, we’ll be stuck out in the middle of Paris, at night, with people seeing you transform!_

“Right, sorry,” Ladybug mumbled, her cheeks coloring a little under her mask. Tossing her yo-yo to a nearby rooftop, she began swinging her way home. Less than ten minutes later, Marinette dropped through the skylight with Tikki tucked snugly into her coat pocket.

Yawning as she made her way down from the mini loft in her room, Marinette headed for the trunk where she had hastily stored her newest project. Depositing a weary Tikki beside a plate of goodies, Marinette removed the half-finished dresses and set them upon her mannequins for inspection.

Alya’s was coming along nicely. The full skirt was nearly finished, and once she attached the bodice to it, she could begin on the embellishments. The colors were looking wonderful together and Marinette couldn’t help but bite her lip with excitement. Her friend was going to look positively stunning in this dress.

Turning her attention to her own dress, Marinette began running over it with a critical eye. So far she had been boasting about how it was her best design ever, and she truly believed that. But she needed it to look like it off paper, too. Marinette had only worked on the bodice so far, since it was going to be the most intricate part of the dress. Granted, the whole design was much more complicated than what she usually tried to do, but this bodice was ridiculous compared to the rest.

With a sleepy sigh, Marinette tucked the mannequin with her dress away from prying eyes, still intent on keeping it a surprise. Changing into her pajamas, she tried not to groan too loudly when she saw how late it was.

“Ready for bed, Tikki?” Marinette yawned as she scooped up her dozing kwami. Tikki mumbled something that sounded like a ‘yes’ as Marinette climbed back up to her mini loft. Once she was close enough to her bed, the exhausted girl collapsed onto the welcoming mattress.

\-----------------------

Marinette trudged her way up the front steps of the school, her eyes drooping and snapping open in an almost methodic rhythm as she fought to stay awake. Her late night patrol with Chat Noir had taken its toll. Getting less sleep than she was used to, Marinette was simply looking forward to going home for lunch and hopefully getting to take a quick nap.

So of course, energetic Alya barreled into sleepy Marinette as soon as she walked through the main doors.

“Marinette! Guess what I’ve just heard! It’s the most amazing and incredible thing ever! Oh I’m so excited I’m just going to tell you, don’t even bother guessing!” Marinette was a little more awake now from Alya’s shouting, so she raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“Chloe got her father to arrange for the masquerade ball to be held at the Jardin des Plantes! We get to use the lawn in front of one of the greenhouses and the rose garden! Oh it’s going to be so beautiful! Just imagine all the pictures I’ll be able to get for my blog! And maybe it will snow, too! Oh that would be so romantic!”

As Alya continued to gush her excitement upon Marinette, the sleepy girl’s gaze wandered to the door she had walked through a few moments ago, spotting the familiar blonde hair of Adrien. The way it caught in the winter sunlight made her heart skip a beat as she smiled dreamily. But there was something odd about how he was walking. Marinette realized he was looking down at something cradled in his arms.

“Marinette?” Alya’s fingers snapped in front of her eyes, making her jump. “Are you even listening to me?” Alya asked accusingly.

“I’m sorry, Alya. I swear I was, but I got distracted,” Marinette admitted sheepishly. She pointed to Adrien. “I was wondering what he’s holding.”

Alya smirked knowingly and took Marinette by the arm, dragging her along towards Adrien. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

“Alya!” Marinette hissed in panic, not sure if she would be able to control her word vomit when she was this tired. But her inhibitions vanished when she saw that Adrien was cuddling a small black kitten to his chest, rubbing his thumb back and forth across the little things cheek.

“Oh my gosh!” Alya cooed, bending down to scratch the kitten’s head. “It’s adorable! Where did you find it?”

Adrien yawned before he answered, his eyes looking hazy with sleep. Marinette wondered what he had been doing that would make him look as tired as she felt. She hunched down beside Alya and drew her fingers along the kitten’s back, drawing a soft mew from the creature.

“I found it outside after my ride dropped me off. I couldn’t just leave it out there, and its mother didn’t come back even though I’ve been waiting for quite a while. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it though. My father doesn’t like pets…there’s no way he would even consider taking this kitten in.”

Marinette looked up and immediately said, “I can take it home,” without a second thought.

The sudden attention she had from Adrien made her flush. Her cheeks grew warm very quickly as she ducked her head and straightened up. Marinette clasped her hands together behind her back and curled her toes into the ground, looking down at her shoes.

“I-I mean I don’t mind t-taking it home. I-I’m sure m-m-my parents won’t mind. A-And besides…I sort of have a soft spot for black cats.” Marinette muttered the last part, thinking fondly of her silly partner.

Glancing up at Adrien, she was surprised to find him grinning warmly at her. She had no idea what had brought that on, but she blushed even harder under his gaze. Holding out her hands timidly, Adrien carefully passed her the kitten. She tried not to scream when his hand brushed against her arm. Once the kitten was curled up against her chest, it nuzzled against her ribs and mewed, obviously satisfied. Moments later, it was sound asleep, purring against Marinette’s chest.

Adrien laughed, the sound nearly causing Marinette to swoon. “It looks like the little thing has taken a liking to you as well.”

Marinette was about to respond when the bell sounded for classes to begin. Panicking for a moment, Marinette wondered what she was going to do with a kitten until lunch when she could go home.

“Just keep it in your lap under the desk and it should be fine,” Alya offered, seeing the worry on her friend’s face. “I hope you have some snacks to keep that cute little kitten quiet when it wakes up,” she teased, tossing the comment over her shoulder as she headed for the stairs.

“Alya!” Marinette whined after her friend, trying not to jostle the kitten as she rushed after her.

\-----------------------

The first half of the day passed much more quickly than Marinette had anticipated. She attributed it to the fact that she had a small, lovely, adorable ball of fur purring contentedly on her lap throughout the entire morning. That, and the way Adrien kept glancing back to smile at her every chance he got, just made Marinette feel like she was flying. The kitten, which she had decided to name Nuit, was surprisingly calm throughout the class.

Once the students were released for lunch, Adrien turned all the way around to face Marinette. His eyes were filled with gratitude as he struck up conversation with her.

“I wanted to thank you again for taking the kitten home. I felt bad that I wasn’t able to, but then you really saved the day, didn’t you?”

Adrien’s joke was meant to be harmless, but Marinette practically stopped breathing at the compliment, her face feeling redder than ever. She ducked her head and resumed scratching the kitten’s head.

“I’s n’problem,” she muttered, her words mixing together in her nervous state. Unfortunately, Chloe chose that moment to come and completely commandeer Adrien’s attention, babbling on about herself. The blonde didn’t bother to pay Marinette an ounce of consideration, which she was _not_ complaining about. Adrien kept glancing back at her until Marinette excused herself.

Nuit mewled into the crook of her elbow as she made her way out of the school. Pausing briefly to exchange a few words with Alya, Marinette quickly walked back home. Entering the bakery, she was greeted by her mother, who immediately began fawning over the kitten nestled in Marinette’s arms.

Once Marinette had explained the situation and received approval, she went upstairs to scoff down a quick lunch. Informing her mother that she was going to try and take a nap, Marinette picked Nuit up from where he had been eating on the floor. As she retreated to her room, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng promised that she would wake Marinette up if she did fall asleep, heading down to help Marinette’s father in the bakery.

Lying on her back, Marinette tilted her head sideways to watch as Nuit stumbled across her bed. His tiny paws barely dented the sheets as he explored the large expanse of mattress. Tikki hovered nearby, watching Nuit with affection.

“He’s so cute!” Tikki gushed, settling down on Marinette’s stomach. “And technically, he’s a gift from Adrien!”

Marinette went red with blush, covering her face with her hands and squeaking loudly. Tikki giggled and shook their head at her.

“You’re far too easy, Marinette! You need to just tell that boy you like him! I’m sure he likes you more than you think he does!”

Marinette sighed shaking her head in response. Not bothering to protest in her exhausted state, she draped an arm across her face, covering her eyes and trying to sleep for even just a few minutes. She could feel Nuit curled up against her ribs, his purring vibrating softly against her side. Tikki was lying across her stomach, peaceful and through with teasing Marinette.

Just as she was starting to drift off to sleep, Marinette’s phone began buzzing on her bedside table, jarring her from her dozing. Moving carefully so she didn’t disturb Nuit or Tikki, Marinette managed to grab her phone, frowning at the unfamiliar number. Dimly, she vaguely recalled seeing this number somewhere, before answering the phone out of sheer curiosity.

“Hello?”

“Marinette?” A familiar voice came through the receiver. “Hey, it’s Adrien. Alya gave me your number so I could check up on you and the kitten. I wanted to make sure he was behaving?”

Marinette sat straight up, accidentally dropping the slumbering Tikki from her stomach into her lap. The kwami let out an indignant, “Hey!” before noticing the stricken expression on Marinette’s face.

“A-Adrien!” Marinette squeaked, blushing furiously at her own nervously, high-pitched voice. Tikki gave her an excited look and gestured for her to continue the conversation.

“Oh, yes, the kitten is behaving really well, actually! H-He’s curled up on my bed right now. I-I decided to name him Nuit.” Marinette stumbled and stuttered, surprised that she was even able to form coherent words because _Adrien Agreste has her number now._

“That’s such a cute name!” Adrien said, his voice sounding genuine. There was something about the way he sounded over the phone that was tugging on some familiar memory, but Marinette was too tired and flustered to really focus on it.

“T-Thank you,” she murmured, just loud enough to be heard on Adrien’s end. “My mother said that I could keep him, just as long as he behaves himself. I don’t think that will be an issue, though.”

“That’s great!” There was a pause, and a soft noise that almost sounded like a yawn. Then, “I guess I’ll see you later, back at school?”

“Y-Yeah!” Marinette managed to get out. “Bye!”

“Bye,” Adrien returned before hanging up.

Marinette flopped onto her back again, Tikki reclaiming a position on Marinette’s stomach as the girl reached over to scratch at Nuit’s head. The kitten began purring even harder, nuzzling sleepily into Marinette’s hand.

“Thank you, Nuit. I guess all of this is happening because you showed up.” Marinette cooed softly over the kitten as he looked up at her, blinking open bright green eyes and mewling at her. “I guess this proves that not all black cats are bad luck, huh? I mean, because of you, Adrien has my number!”

Tikki giggled from Marinette’s stomach, watching her fawn over the little creature. Suddenly, Tikki’s entire body twitched violently. The movement was enough to draw Marinette’s attention away from Nuit. The teen looked over at her kwami as Tikki flew to the window, pressing against it and staring out at the streets silently. Beside her, Nuit yowled pitifully, pawing at his ears for a moment before settling down again.

“Tikki?” Marinette asked, worry lacing her voice. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and watched her kwami. Tikki was still pressed close to the window, cheek brushing the glass as Tikki stared out at the city. Nuit pawed playfully at Marinette’s fingers, demanding attention as if nothing was wrong.

“Tikki?” Marinette repeated when her kwami didn’t answer. Reaching over, Marinette distractedly ran her hand along Nuit’s back in an attempt to placate the kitten. “What’s wrong?”

 Seeming to snap out of a daze, Tikki turned slowly from the window and whisked over to Marinette, perching on the girl’s knee. Tikki’s brow was scrunched together in what Marinette could only assume was concern.

“It’s probably nothing…” Tikki muttered, not really speaking to Marinette. “I just…I thought I heard something. Something that I never thought I would hear again…” Seeming to realize that they were speaking out loud, Tikki eyes snapped up to Marinette’s troubled gaze and Tikki grinned, assuming a cheery demeanor once again.

“But like I said, it’s probably nothing! I’m probably just hearing things.”

“Are you sure?” Marinette said, fretting over her small friend. “Nuit seemed affected by it, too. Is it an akuma? Should we transform?”

Tikki hesitated, Marinette wondering if Tikki was going to take the offer. But after a moment, the little kwami shook their head and laughed cheerfully.

“You can’t get out of school that easily, Marinette. I’m sure it’s nothing. Besides, if it was an akuma, we’ll hear about it and deal with it when it’s a problem. For now, I think you still have some time to sleep before you need to be back at school.”

Marinette yawned, stretching her arms over her head and carefully pulling Nuit onto her chest as she lay back down on her bed. Nuit squeaked in protest before he settled down in the curve of Marinette’s rib cage, purring contentedly.

“I-I should…should work on-on the dresses…” Marinette mumbled, her eyes drifting shut before she fell asleep entirely. Tikki chuckled and settled down next to Marinette’s head, affectionately nuzzling into the girl’s hair.

“Just sleep, silly girl,” Tikki whispered.

\-----------------------

“Plagg? What are you doing?” Adrien asked his kwami. The little black cat was staring out the window nearby, hovering rather close to the glass. The little trickster was hardly ever quiet, unless they were sleeping, but now Plagg was absolutely silent.

Adrien had retreated to an empty classroom to call Marinette. They were still alone as Adrien tucked his phone away in his pocket and maneuvered his way through the desks to his kwami’s side. Leaning against the sill, Adrien tried to find what Plagg was looking at, but he could find nothing out of the ordinary.

The Parisian streets below the school were bustling with everyday traffic, both cars and pedestrians. The students who had stayed back at school for lunch were mainly spread out across the side lawn, enjoying the last of the dry weather before winter finally took hold and started dumping snow on them.

“Plagg?” Adrien repeated. “Are you alright, buddy?”

The little cat snapped out of a daze, turning luminescent green eyes to Adrien. Shaking their head quickly, as if clearing away the cobwebs, Plagg grinned impishly.

“Sorry, I got distracted. I thought I heard something, but I was probably just imagining it. Nothing to worry about.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes, debating on whether or not he should push the subject. But if Plagg didn’t want to talk about it, Adrien really didn’t feel like working around the cat’s stubbornness. Shrugging, the boy turned away from the window and walked over to his bag. Slinging the strap over his shoulder, Adrien grinned at his companion.

“Come on. I’ll buy you some Camembert from the market. I need to get something in town, anyway.”

The little kwami perked up at the mention of the beloved cheese. Cheering, Plagg swooped through the air before burrowing in between Adrien’s shirts. Adrien smiled and started to make his way out of the classroom, checking the time on his phone to make sure his trip to town wouldn’t make him late for his next class.

\-----------------------

Marinette flew up the stairs to the second floor of the school, taking them two at a time. She had fallen asleep for just a little too long, and she was lucky her mother had remembered to come check on her. As she was briskly walking down the hall towards her classroom, Marinette looked down at her little purse, peeking inside to check on Tikki.

The next thing she knew, Marinette was sprawled on the floor, her schoolbag knocked aside with its contents spilled across the floor.

Rubbing her head, Marinette looked up to find Adrien in a similar position on the floor across from her. His bag had spilled open, too, their things thankfully not too mixed up.

“I’m so sorry, Marinette!” Adrien apologized hurriedly, scrabbling to his feet and holding out a hand to help her up. Taking his hand, Marinette was stammering and stuttering, her face bright red, as she was tugged to her feet. Adrien was smiling at her, he was holding her hand and worrying over her and good lord _this was too much for her._

“I-I’m o-o-okay, t-thanks,” Marinette managed to get out, bending down to start scooping up her scattered things. Adrien was doing the same with his stuff. Marinette couldn’t even calm down because she could feel him glancing over at her every couple of seconds. She nearly lost it entirely when he handed her pencil case over, smiling apologetically.

Their fingers brushed as the little bag was transferred from hand to hand, nearly causing Marinette to faint. This was ridiculous. How much attention could she get from one boy in a single day?

“Oh!” Adrien exclaimed, digging through his bag for a moment and producing a little box. It was simple, white and wrapped shut with an unimpressive ribbon. But Adrien presented it shyly, ducking his head a little and was that blush Marinette saw on his cheeks?

“I found this in town during lunch. I thought maybe Nuit could use a collar…so I picked one out that I thought you might like. It’s just a little thank you for taking him in.”

Marinette’s hands were shaking so badly that she had to grip the box with both hands in an attempt to not drop the thing. She wondered if she was literally going to explode soon. Despite this, she did manage to unwrap the box and lift the lid without screwing anything up in a spectacular way.

The collar was small, but judging by the buckle on the side, Marinette figured it could probably be adjusted as Nuit grew. It was simple, nothing too fancy, but it was a very flattering shade of pink with sweet little patterns embroidered into the material. The patterns were woven with a tame green that complimented the pink and didn’t clash. Marinette absolutely adored it.

“It’s beautiful, Adrien. I’m sure Nuit will love it as much as I do,” she grinned bashfully at him, putting the lid back on the box. She was amazed that she had been able to get that out without stuttering as she tucked the box away in her bag.

Adrien looked like he wanted to say something in return, but at that moment the bell rang for class, making them both jump. Shooting her a cheerful smile, Adrien walked to the classroom door and held it open for Marinette. Trying not to swoon, Marinette nodded her thanks and walked into class.

\-----------------------

“Are you _kidding_ me?” Alya practically shouted as she and Marinette made their way home. “You had that boy right in front of you with the perfect opportunity to invite him over and you didn’t?”

Marinette buried her face in her hands and groaned. “I was so flustered I couldn’t even think! I’m surprised I said anything at all!” she protested, voice muffled from behind her palms. Looking up hopefully, Marinette’s large blue eyes pleaded with Alya to show her mercy.

“But now we have each other’s numbers! Maybe I could invite him over through a text to see Nuit!”

Alya clasped her flustered friend on the shoulder and grinned broadly. “That’s the spirit, girl! Keep that attitude up and you’ll be going on dates with Adrien in no time!”

Marinette stumbled and nearly fainted at the thought.

Alya gripped her friend’s arm and tried not to laugh too hard, for the sake of Marinette’s dignity. Once Marinette had gotten her feet back under herself, she shot Alya a playful glare.

“Sorry,” Alya chuckled, holding her hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean to, but I’m being serious. You need to be more assertive before he’s unavailable, Mari.”

Deflating as she sighed, Marinette pushed open the door of the bakery and the girl’s started to make their way upstairs. Calling greetings to Marinette’s parents, who were busy with customers, they each grabbed a little snack from one of the displays before retreating to Marinette’s room.

“I know, but I freeze up every time I look at him, let alone talk to him. I don’t know what to do!” Marinette dropped her schoolbag on the floor with a thud. She took more care with setting down her purse, remembering Tikki still tucked away inside.

“Enough of that for now,” Alya said, waving away her friend’s concerns. She gestured eagerly to Marinette’s sewing supplies in an attempt to change the topic. “I want to see how the dress is coming along!”

Excited with the new topic, Marinette leapt to her feet from where she had previously sat down in her desk chair. Dragging the mannequin with Alya’s dress on it from the corner, she presented the half-finished design with flourish. Marinette hadn’t made much progress on it since the other night, but she had found time to attach the skirt and bodice together so it was in one piece now.

Alya squealed with delight and pranced excitedly around the dress. She carefully stroked the fabric and fluffed the skirt, admiring her friend’s work as they discussed what was still left to work on.

“Would you like to try it on? I need to check the measurements to make sure I got everything right,” Marinette offered, already starting to work the gown off the display.

“Is that even a question?” Alya laughed. While she started to undress, Marinette turned her back to give her some privacy. Unpacking her bag, Marinette pulled out the box with the collar Adrien had given her. Trotting up the steps to her mini-loft, Marinette found Nuit on the bed, exactly where she had left him.

“Hi little kitty,” she cooed. Stroking his head gently, Nuit chirruped as he opened his eyes and stood on wobbly legs, arching into Marinette’s touch. She scratched his chin and fawned over him for a bit before holding up the collar.

“Adrien got you a present, Nuit. Want to try it on?”

Nuit mewled his consent and held still as Marinette clipped the collar around his little neck. She adjusted it a bit to fit more snuggly and then leaned back to admire the little fluff ball.

“Perfect!” she gushed, scooping Nuit into her arms and glancing down at Alya. “Does it fit alright?” she called down to her friend, who was now decked in the richly colored dress. Her friend twirled around, letting the skirt open and flow, the fabric swirling around Alya’s legs when she stopped to look up at Marinette joyfully.

“I love it!” her friend squealed. “Although, I think the waist needs to be let out just a pinch.”

Marinette nodded, her trained eye spotting even from above, that the seam at the waist was just a bit too snug compared to how the rest of the bodice fit. Climbing down the stairs, Nuit still tucked in the crook of her elbow, Marinette went for her sewing kit on the other side of the room.

Alya cooed at Nuit, following Marinette over to her kit. She scooped the kitten up from Marinette while her friend rummage around for her supplies.

“Oh he’s so cute!” Alya babbled, making little kitten noises to Nuit as she cuddled the creature close. Nuit mewled in response and settled against Alya’s chest. Marinette smiled at the sight, turning to her friend with needle and thread in hand. As Marinette set to work, careful not to stick her friend, Alya kept still, scratching Nuit’s head as the kitten purred.

“You know what I would have named him?” Alya questioned aloud. Marinette hummed, spare needle pressed between her lips, prompting her friend to continue.

“Chat Noir,” Alya said matter-of-factly.

Marinette almost choked, dropping the needle between her lips to the floor. She tried to ignore the strange look Alya was giving her as Marinette felt around for the little piece of metal.

“Sorry, sorry,” Marinette coughed, attempting to cover up her laughter. Finally finding the needle, she stuck it into the hem of her shirt so she could speak freely. “It’s just…I wouldn’t name such a sweet little kitten after Paris’ biggest flirt.”

“How do you know Chat Noir is a flirt?” Alya questioned, giving her friend her full attention as Alya’s inner blogger came out. She was obviously prying for a scoop for her blog.

“Remember that time he helped me? He was such a flirt,” Marinette lied easily, grateful that she actually had an excuse. Marinette hadn’t exactly made a big deal out of her “adventure” with Chat Noir, but of course she had told Alya.

“He claims to love Ladybug, but he kissed my hand when he greeted me, called me ‘Princess’, and was just such a…flirt,” Marinette knew that she sounded lame, continuously using the word ‘flirt’ to describe Chat. But knowing him the way she did, there was hardly any other word to describe her masked partner. But of course, she couldn’t tell Alya about that part.

Above her, Alya’s sigh pulled Marinette back from her thoughts about Chat. She was nearly finished adjusting the bodice, the fix an easy task, especially since she had sewn in extra fabric for just such a situation.

“I suppose you would know, but still,” Alya stroked Nuit’s back, earning a satisfied chirp from the kitten. “I would have named him Chat Noir.”

Marinette finished off the stitches and stood back to admire her work. Taking Nuit back from Alya, she stood off to the side as her excitable friend swirled and danced about Marinette’s room. Alya gushed over the fullness of the ball gown and the detail in the bodice for a few moments more before turning on Marinette.

“Wait! You’ve started on your dress haven’t you? Let me see it!”

Marinette grinned mischievously and shook her head. Her refusal drew an irate protest from Alya as her friend practically begged for even just a peek of Marinette’s gown.

“No!” Marinette insisted through her laughter. “I said it was going to be a surprise and I intend on keeping that promise. But,” she said tantalizingly. “We can talk about our masks.”

Thankfully, Alya took the bait and dropped the subject, squeaking excitedly as Marinette showed her the masks she had easily whipped up the other day. Alya’s was a lot more flamboyant than Marinette’s, but it fit with the rest of her dress and was extremely flattering.

Marinette had designed it so one half covered Alya’s face and the other side simply covered the area around her eyes. The trim would match the color of the embellishments Marinette was going to put on the dress and the base of the mask was the same color as the bodice. There was glitter sprinkled over the entire thing and it would stay in place with a band that wrapped around Alya’s head.

As a sort of inside joke to herself, Marinette had designed her own mask in the same shape as the one she wore when she was Ladybug. The colors were similar as well, the red more crimson than the vibrant red of her Ladybug costume. Of course the spots were absent as well, but intricate golden swirls covered the entirety of the surface. The trim along the outline of her mask was a tight ruffle in the same gold color.

“These are gorgeous, Mari!” Alya praised, holding Marinette’s mask in her hands as she wore her own for display. “Is your dress going to be this color?”

Marinette nodded, catching her lower lip between her teeth in excitement. Trying and failing to suppress her smile, Marinette giggled. Setting Nuit down on the floor, she took the mask back from Alya and secured the strap around her own head, adjusting the mask to sit just right.

“And that is the only ‘peek’ you are getting of my dress until the ball.”

“The ball isn’t for another week! You expect me to wait that long, Marinette?” Alya protested, whining like a child.

“Yep! Now come on, take your dress off so I can keep working on it.”

“Not until you show me your dress!” Alya cried, a devilish light sparkling in her eyes behind her mask. Alya dashed off, gathering up the skirt in her hands so she wouldn’t trip as she rushed down the stairs towards Marinette’s kitchen.

Laugher bubbled past Marinette’s lips, even as she tried to sound annoyed as she called after her friend.

“Get back here before you rip something!”

“Never!”

\-----------------------

Marinette sank onto her mattress, a heavy breath pushing past her lips as she flopped onto her back. Tikki, who had escaped Marinette’s purse while she was chasing Alya around the house, settled down on Marinette’s stomach.

“I know you’re tired, Marinette,” Tikki said gently, glancing fondly at Nuit prancing around the sheets near the girl’s head. “But try not to fall asleep yet. You still have patrol tonight with Chat in half an hour.”

Marinette groaned and moved to sit up, cupping her hand under Tikki so the kwami wouldn’t fall off. Marinette’s eyes felt sticky and heavy with the desire to sleep. Every part of her body was screaming in protest at being used. Her entire being wanted nothing more than to just sleep.

“I hope Chat’s reflexes are still good, because I’m going to need him to catch me when I fall asleep in midair.” Pausing to yawn, Marinette shook her head as she drooped forwards. “How is it that he’s always so energetic? It’s not fair.”

Tikki giggled, the laughter high and clear like a little ringing bell. Marinette was about to ask her kwami how _they_ were so energetic when Tikki abruptly went stiff. The little ladybug kwami’s eyes were stretched wide, pupils dilated, as Tikki seemed to freeze where they were hovering.

“Tikki?” Marinette asked, alarm permeating her voice. This was the second time today that something like this had happened. Marinette half expected Tikki to flit over to the window again.

But Tikki didn’t fly over to the window. Instead, the little kwami crumpled and dropped into Marinette’s outstretched hand. If Marinette didn’t know any better, she would have said that her kwami had fallen asleep.

“Tikki!” Marinette cried in alarm. Nuit was mewling in agitation behind her, only spiking the teen’s apprehension further. There was a mounting pressure behind her eyes that made Marinette feel dizzy and disoriented, like she being separated from her own body. She was about to try and contact Chat for help when the weight behind her eyes exploded with such a force that she promptly tipped over sideways and passed out on her bed, Nuit mewling pathetically beside her.

\-----------------------

Adrien was shoving his schoolbooks and completed homework into his bag, preparing to transform and head out for his nightly patrol with his lovely Lady. Standing and stretching his arms over his head, Adrien arched his back luxuriously as well. This was the best part of his day – well, night – and it was what Adrien always had to look forward to.

“Plagg!” Adrien called, walking over to his bed. His kwami had dozed off at some point and was now curled up on Adrien’s pillow, snoring softly.

“Plagg, you lazy glutton, get up! We’re going to be late for patrol if you keep sleeping. And I refuse to be late for My Lady. It isn’t polite.”

The little black cat stretched and mumbled something about “ridiculous chivalry” before floating up to Adrien’s eye level. The kwami grumbled a little more, most of it unintelligible, but was obviously consenting to transforming.

“You better have some top-notch Camembert for me when we get home,” Plagg grunted, shaking their little body, still trying to wake up. Plagg had been enjoying the most pleasant of catnaps.

“Yes, yes, of course,” Adrien said, waving away Plagg’s demand. “You’ll get a load of cheese when we get back. But right now we have to transform.”

Plagg moved to oblige, still grumbling a little about being woken up, but satisfied that cheese was being promised later. As Plagg swooped into position, the kwami suddenly went rigid all over, eyes growing wide. Adrien narrowed his eyes, wondering if Plagg was honestly trying to get out of leaving. But when the kwami’s normally slit pupils were blown wide, Adrien cried out in alarm.

“Plagg? What is it? What’s wrong?” Adrien remembered what had happened back at school earlier that day. “What’s going on?”

As he reached out towards his kwami, Plagg’s eyes fell shut and the kwami dropped out of the air. Adrien’s hand was there to catch Plagg before the little cat could fall too far.

“Plagg! Plagg are you alright?” Adrien cried desperately, worry coursing through him for his little companion. He tried to calm down as pressure built up behind his eyes, pressing on his temples and making his vision blur. Adrien wondered incredulously if he was about to start crying. Sitting down heavily on his bed, Adrien tried to take deep breaths. He had to remain calm and figure out what was wrong with Plagg.

As Adrien tried to push to his feet, the force behind his eyes exploded violently. It snatched his breath away for a moment as he crumpled sideways and blacked out before his head even hit the mattress.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette learns more about kwami and the history of Ladybug and Chat Noir; Chat and Marinette have an encounter and things get interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know how to apologize for this chapter? Anyway, I wanted to upload on Christmas but it wasn't finished because I'm horrible. So...Merry Christmas a few days late and happy holidays to all!

_“Can anyone hear me?” a small, high-pitched voice cried out. There was no visible source, just a disembodied call, slicing through the inky blackness._

_Then again, Marinette wouldn’t be able to see anything anyway, everything was void, and she felt entirely weightless. There was some sort of presence nearby. It felt distant, but Marinette could still sense it reaching, stretching, for something across the gap. There was a rather ancient feeling about this presence that reminded Marinette of Tikki._

_“Hello?” Marinette called back, grateful that her voice worked. But she sounded odd to her own ears, her voice more squeaky and not entirely her own._

_Suddenly the full force of the searching presence had its attention fixed entirely on Marinette. She couldn’t tell if her eyes were open or closed at this point. Either way, everything was dark so it didn’t matter. But now she could tell that there was some other manifestation nearby as well, not as overbearing but still somewhere in the void. She didn’t have much time to think about it as the voice spoke directly in front of her._

_“Scarab? Is that you?” The voice asked, their tone softened with awe, as Marinette grew accustomed to the weight of the attention directed at her.  
_

_She was about to ask what the force was talking about when Tikki’s voice spoke instead. The little kwami spoke from somewhere near her head, but no matter how Marinette turned, she couldn’t see anything but darkness._

_“Yes, though I have evolved over the millennium. I have not been known by the title of the sacred beetle in centuries. But…who are you, if I might ask? Were you the one that called to us?”_

_Marinette decided it was best to remain silent, wanting to learn as much about Tikki’s past as she could. It took the strange force a moment to respond, and when it did, it sounded marginally less awestruck than before. It almost sounded…offended?_

_“I am the one that called, and I apologize for the affect it had on you. But…is it so easy for you to forget me, great one? Am I that insignificant to you?”_

_“Of course not,” Tikki’s voice spoke gently, reassuringly. “It’s just…well, we all thought you had perished with_ _Hetepheres **.** There was no sign of you, or any sort of claim that would have alerted us to your presence. And of course, after you disappeared, everything fell to disorder. The others became lost, never reincarnated…only Mau and I remained by the end of the pharaohs. And after that, well, we fled Egypt and found hosts from all over the world.”  
_

_A surpised and disgusted noise emitted from the void, buffeting Marinette slightly with the immense distate. Confused, she tried to regain focus and continue listening to the conversation unfolding._

_“You mean, a godly kwami, selecting hosts that were not of the royal bloodlines? Has the universe truly disgraced you so, great one? I remember when you and your hosts were direct servants of Ra. And now,” suddenly the powerful force was fully focused on Marinette again, disgust and contempt washing over her._

_“She is a worthy host,” Tikki rushed to defend Marinette. “She may not be a direct descendant of the royal bloodlines, but she might as well be. This child is a natural leader, strong and brave. I could not ask for a better host.”_

_There was hesitance from the presence, as if it were debating on whether or not to truly believe Tikki’s words. After a long moment of heavy silence, there was a resigned sigh from nearby._

_“I am not one who has the right to question you, great one. So I will trust you. But if I may ask, what sort of host has Mau taken in this reincaration? You have found each other, right?”  
_

_Unsure if the quesiton was directed towards her or not, Marinette remained silent and waited for Tikki to answer. The names being thrown around between the two ancient forces were entirely unfamiliar to Marinette. Although, there was something familiar tugging at her mind, as if she should know these people.  
_

_“We have,” Tikki’s voice cut across Marinette’s pondering, pulling her attention back to the conversation at hand. “Though you would probably be more pleased with their choice of host than mine.”  
_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“In this modern world, Mau’s host is considered to be of high class, though he has no royalty in him.”_

_The presence hummed curiously before responding. “It’s surprising that Mau would take a male host. They usually favor females. The same for you, great one. I know you have taken feminine hosts before, but this one is much more so than in the past.”_

_“You should know that gender plays no role in the selection, Psyche. Speaking of which, where is your host? How have you returned?”_

_The mood surrounding Marinette seemed to thicken, tension very evident in the empty space. The teen shrank back, or at least she tried to. She wasn’t sure if she actually moved or not. Either way, this Psyche was very obviously dissatified with the change in topic._

_“Let’s just say the gods are still punishing me. Taking a pharaoh’s wife as a host when it was very clearly not my place is something they are not inclined to forgive lightly. They may have significantly declined in power and influence, but they still have the ability to make me miserable.”_

_“Psyche, what do you mean?” Tikki asked, the kwami’s voice rapid and laced with concern. “Who have the gods forced you to take as a host?”_

_Marinette was trying to stay focused on the intense conversation, but something was pulling her back to the surface. She could feel the sense of weightlessness ebbing away from her limbs. Her arms were growing heavy and her head felt fuzzy._

_“Your host awakens, Scarab. My host is cruel and decieving. He restricts my movement and my power, but I can tell you I am closer than you think.”_

* * *

“Marinette! Wake up!”

Marinette shot into a sitting position, Tikki still cupped in her hands. The kwami drowsily blinked open their eyes, looking entirely disoriented. Marinette looked up sharply when her mother’s voice sounded from the hall outside her room.

“Marinette if you don’t get moving you’re going to be late for school!”

“Coming, Mama!” Marinette called back. She stood briskly and sat Tikki on the bed. Pausing to scratch Nuit behind his ears, Marinette dashed down the stairs from her lofted bed. Stretching her arms over her head, she headed towards the bathroom to freshen up.

While she stood at the sink, brushing her teeth absentmindedly, Marinette tried to remember all the details of her dream. It had felt so real…but there was no way it had actually happened. That Psyche had apologize for the affect it’s call had taken on them, like it was the reason she and Tikki had fainted. Sure, Tikki was much older than Marinette had thought, but that didn’t mean any of what she had dreamed was true.

Could it?

Sighing heavily, Marinette finished brushing her teeth and moved on to fixing her rumpled hair. As she was securing her pigtails with hair bands, Marinette remembered one of the names that had been said.

Tikki had said something about _Hetepheres_ to Pysche. Marinette hadn’t been able to see them, but they had spoken quite casually. The name was foreign to her thoughts, but still she felt as if she should know it. Marinette decided that she would visit the library at some point today and try to find something on the name. Nodding to her reflection with satisfaction, she slipped out of the bathroom and began gathering up her things.

“Tikki!” Marinette called softly up to the loft. “It’s time to go.”

The vibrant red kwami flew down the stairs and hovered near Marinette, waiting for her to open up the little pouch at her hip. Tikki was unusually silent, but Marinette was in too much of a hurry to think much of it. Popping open her purse, Marinette made sure Tikki was comfortably situated inside before snapping it shut and rushing down to the lower level of her home.

Leaving a fleeting kiss on her mother’s cheek, Marinette rushed out the door of the bakery. She briskly made her way down the sidewalk, heading towards school and hoping she wouldn’t be late.

The morning was crisp and cool, the winter air nipping slightly at Marinette’s cheeks. She pulled her coat collar tighter around her chin, her breath floating away in a small cloud as she huffed. The sky was clear and bright blue, hopefully promising a warmer day later on. Although, she couldn’t help but think about her dream as she started to cross the street near the school building. The foggy memory hung over her mind like a shroud, only _Hetepheres’_ name shining through the haze. Whoever this person was, they were important.

Trotting up the front steps, Marinette could see that the courtyard was nearly empty. A glance at her phone showed that Marinette had five minutes before the first bell would ring.

 _Just made it!_ She thought proudly.

Ducking into the open locker space, Marinette twirled the lock expertly around, putting in her combonation. Yanking open the little metal door with a squeak, the teen almost missed Tikki fleeing from her purse. A flash of her bright red kwami in her peripheral vision alerted Marinette to her escaping companion.

“Tikki?” Marinette called, concerned and confused. Grabbing what she needed, Marinette slamed her locker shut and rushed off. Screeching to a stop in the courtyard, Marinette glimpsed Tikki soaring up the stairs, heading for the upper level.

 _What’s gotten into Tikki?_ Marinette wondered as she bolted for the stairs. All thoughts of being on time for class vanished for worry of her kwami.

At the top of the stairs, Marinette could see Tikki slipping through a small opening between a classroom door and the doorframe. The darkness on the otherside of the windows reassured Marinette that the classroom was empty. Thankfully Tikki was not at risk of being seen. Rushing for the door, she wondered again what had gotten into Tikki.

As Marinette was reaching for the door handle, someone else’s hand bumped into her’s. She had been so focused on finding Tikki that she had completely missed the approach of the other person. Retracting her hand with a surprised ‘oh!’, Marinette turned to them.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t noti-“ Marinette’s apology died on her lips as she looked up to find none other than Adrien standing before her.

“A-Adrien!” Marinette stuttered out, face flushing pink upon realizing she had practically just _held Adrien Agreste’s hand._

There was not much time for her to feel flustered, however, as she noticed the panicked worry lacing Adrien’s beautiful features. He looked almost as concerned as Marinette felt about Tikki.

“Adrien?” Marinette asked, trying to catch his wandering eye. His eyes…so perfectly shaped and emerald green, filled with emotion and sparkling in the light and _oh god he was looking right at her!_

Realizing that she was staring at him without actually continuing to speak, Marinette snapped to attention and giggled nervously. Rubbing a nervous hand against the back of her head, Marinette tried to find some shreds of composure and dignity.

“Sorry, I’ve just been a little distracted,” she apologized. “I had a weird night and now an even weirder morning…anyway, are you doing alright? You look a little…frazzled.”

Adrien nodded hesitantly, not entirely convincing Marinette, who was wondering how she was managing to speak coherently and stay upright. For some reason, talking with Adrien was becoming easier the more she did it. His perfection wasn’t so overwhelming, but still immensly appreciated.

“I…had a weird night too,” Adrien finally mumbled, obviously still very distracted. He kept glancing at the door that they had both been reaching for. Marinette knew that Tikki had gone inside, but she wondered why Adrien was so intent on getting in there. It took him a couple moments of silent pondering before he continued.

“I had something to do last night, something important. But I…fell asleep before I could. Didn’t wake up until this morning…” Adrien trailed off, his voice soft and preoccupied. If Marinette was hearing correctly, it almost sounded like he was disappointed, too.

Puffing out a sigh, Marinette shuffled her feet and huffed out a laugh. Eyeing her ballet flats, she spoke to them instead of Adrien. “You and me both. I’m upset I didn’t get to meet up with a friend.”

Glancing up, Marinette was startled to find that she had Adrien’s full attention now. Moments ago he had been so distracted, it was nearly overwhelming. Clamping her mouth shut to avoid making some stupid noise, Marinette hoped she wasn’t as red as she felt.

“The same thing happened to me. I was supposed to meet up with—“ Adrien was cut off when a thump sounded from inside the classroom. Exchanging looks, Marinette grabbed the handle first and shoved her way inside. Throwing caution to the wind, Tikki’s safety was more important to her than Adrien potentially finding out she was Ladybug.

Shoving her way into the empty room, Marinette looked around frantically as she wandered through the empty rows. As she made her way to the window, Adrien trotted up the stairs towards the back of the classroom. A light tugging on her sleeve drew Marinette’s attention to Tikki, the little kwami staring up at her. Hastily unclipping her bag, the bright red creature dove into Marinette’s pouch before Adrien could turn around.

Once Tikki was securly in Marinette’s bag, she started making her way over towards the blonde boy across the classroom. He was kneeling by something on the floor as Marinette called out to him.

“I’m not sure what that noise was, but I think we should get to class now.”

Adrien jumped, looking over his shoulder at her like he had almost forgotten she was in the room. As he stood, one hand adjusted his jacket, the other held an open library book.

“I think this was what made that noise. It probably fell off the shelf or something.” He held it out towards Marinette, her curiousity obvious as she reached out to take it from him.

Freezing in place, Marinette stared at the page the book was open to. Before Adrien could even question what was wrong, she took the text from him, handling it gingerly. Setting the book down on a nearby desk, Marinette hunched over it and studied the page quickly, her lips pressed into a thin line.

 _There’s no way this is coincidence,_ Marinette thought shakily. _Tikki had to have done this, even if we haven’t talked about my dream yet._

The history textbook had “fallen” open to a passage on the ancient Egyptian queen _Hetepheres._ Breathless, she began to read the passage aloud:

_“Queen during the 4 th dynasty of Egypt, Queen Hetepheres I’s tomb was discovered by a photographer near the Great Pyramid of Giza in 1925. Among the several artifacts discovered in her tomb, the most interesting include an armchair with inlays of Neith-standards on both faces of the back, with a hawk standing on palm columns on the arms, gold covered, and gold fragments with deceased seated smelling lotus, probably from the lid of small box. In addition, there was a chest with an inlaid lid with text and Min-emblem decoration, gold covered. The chest contained a box with eight alabaster ointment jars in a stand, a box, gold covered, containing silver bracelets with a butterfly design, and a head-rest, wood, covered with gold and silver. All of these artifacts are on display at the Cairo Museum.”_

Looking up at Adrien, Marinette was surprised to find that he was actually listening to her. She had just begun reading out loud; not even giving a thought to the fact that Adrien had no idea why _Hetepheres_ was important. She had half expected to find him staring at her like she was crazy or not even listening to her.

But here he was, staring at her with an attentive posture and wide eyes. She could practically see the gears turning in Adrien’s head as he thought something over. Before Marinette could even ask, the bell sounded, warning the pair that they were now late for class.

Squeaking in alarm, Marinette flipped the textbook shut, making a quick mental note of the title as she shoved it back onto the shelf. She began leaping down the steps two at a time. Adrien was close on her heels as they bolted from the classroom and down the hall. Marinette reached the door first, yanking it open as Adrien followed her through. Tossing a quick, lame apology to their professor, the teens slid into their seats without a word to each other.

“Where were you and Adrien that made you late?” Alya whispered, nudging her friend’s arm suggestively. Peering at Marinette from over the rim of her glasses, Alya made it physically clear that Marinette was not getting out of this one.

“Later,” Marinette waved Alya away, pulling out her notes for class as she tried to focus. Thoughts of _Hetepheres_ were racing through her head, the ancient queen an important puzzle piece that she was still trying to fit into the overall picture. Maybe she would be able to get something out of Tikki later.

But than again, Marinette doubted the kwami would easily hand over the answers she needed. Tikki tended to make Marinette figure things out by herself.

* * *

The moment Adrien found himself alone in his bedroom, he opened up his jacket, letting Plagg fly out and hover nearby. The feline kwami swirled over to where Adrien had left some cheese out for Plagg’s lunch. Humming in delight, Plagg settled down amongst a large slice of Camembert cheese as Adrien began pacing the length of his room.

“ _Hetepheres_ …” he murmured under his breath. “There’s no way that was a coincidence. You dropped that book for me to find, didn’t you Plagg?” Adrien turned on his kwami.

Gulping down the pungent cheese, Plagg looked up at the boy with lazy green eyes. “And what if I did? Perhaps I was trying to be helpful. Why do you sound so accusing? The Ladybug and I were just trying to help you. You did ask to know more about our history, did you not?”

“Ladybug was there?” Adrien asked quickly, his heartbeat picking up at the name of his beloved partner. How had he missed her? “Where was she?

Plagg swallowed a piece of cheese whole before denying Adrien’s statement. “I wasn’t speaking to Ladybug the host. I was talking with _the_ Ladybug.”

At Adrien’s confused expression, Plagg sighed and spoke slowly, as if Adrien were a small child. “You need me to transform into Chat Noir, correct?” When Adrien nodded, Plagg continued.

“Well, the same applies to your Ladybug. She needs a kwami of her own to transform. Her kwami and I have spoken many times before, which is what we were doing earlier.”

Adrien practically blanched, scooping Plagg up and holding the kwami close to his face. “You know Ladybug’s kwami? So you know who she is? Why haven’t you told me before?”

Plagg reached out and gestured for Adrien to calm down. The little black cat was being much more serious than usual, which was sort of freaking Adrien out. But if it meant he was going to get answers, than Adrien wasn’t going to complain.

“Look, I know you want the identity of your Lady, but that is not my secret to share anymore than it is yours to pry to the surface. The reason the Ladybug and I were speaking is because there’s something happening. That dream you had last night? It was more of an omen. Psyche was speaking with the Ladybug, but you were there to listen for a reason. I can’t tell you everything; that would be cheating.”

“Plagg!” Adrien protested. “I don’t even remember most of the dream!”

“But,” Plagg cut across the boy. “That doesn’t mean I haven’t set you on the path to finding out what you need to. I can’t tell you everything because of the cheating, but also because of ancient rules and customs. If I were to reveal too much, it would mean very, very bad misfortune for you and for me. So, let’s try to avoid that, shall we?”

Plagg waited until Adrien had nodded his consent before floating back over to the waiting plate of cheese.

“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe you have a lunch to get back to as well. This Camembert isn’t going to eat itself and I refuse to let it taunt me any longer.”

* * *

“This is impossible!” Marinette lamented as loudly as she dared. Dropping her head onto the open pages of her textbook, Marinette groaned at the complexities she faced.

The library was mostly empty for the lunch period, but she was sitting surrounded by texts on Ancient Egypt. There were hardly any resources on the ancient queen she was looking for, and even less on the mentioned artifacts of her tomb. Tikki was trying to help, but the little kwami seemed to be struggling with some other problem that Marinette wasn’t aware of.

“Tikki, why can’t you just tell me what it is I’m looking for again?” Marinette turned her head to the side on the textbook. The bright red kwami was nibbling on a cookie, hidden from the view of others by a stack of tomes.

“It’s the ancient laws I’m bound by. I am under no circumstances able or allowed to give you explicit information on past incarnations. You’re allowed to know that they existed and other vague details, but if you want anything else, you must discover it on your own.”

“But why? That doesn’t make any sense! Wouldn’t it be helpful to know about the other Ladybugs?”

“Yes,” Tikki said hesitantly, the conviction seriously lacking in the kwami’s tone. “But it could also be harmful. Certain identities, interactions, things that past incarnations have done…you may not find all of it pleasing. That’s why I can’t tell you.”

Marinette huffed in frustration, but she understood. It made sense to her now, but it was immensely annoying at this certain point in time. Straightening up, she started flipping idly through the textbook again, trying to find anything that might be helpful.

“However,” Tikki whispered in a thin voice. “It would not be against ancient laws if I just so happen to shove this open book in your direction.” The bright red creature nudged a different book towards Marinette. It was not a history book, which surprised Marinette, but she eagerly scooped it up anyway.

Scanning over the pages it was opened to, Marinette quickly came to realize that it was a passage on the symbolism of butterflies in different cultures. Confused, she glanced down at Tikki, who had resumed nibbling at a cookie. Puffing out a sigh, she continued to read. Eventually, something caught her eye.

_“The butterflies were presumably one of the pleasures that awaited the deceased in the afterlife, reflecting the Egyptian belief in the immortality of the human soul. Aristotle gave the butterfly the name psyche, the Greek word for soul. There are several cultures that relate butterflies to the human soul.”_

Marinette looked up excitedly, her summer sky eyes wide with awe. She immediately marked the page and plunged the book into her school bag. Turning to her kwami, Marinette tried to make sure her voice wasn’t too loud in her exhilaration.

“Tikki! This is incredible! So Psyche is actually a butterfly? Wait, Psyche is a kwami too, right? But what does that have to do with Hetepheres? Psyche said something about taking her as a host and it not being—oh!”

The pieces all suddenly fell into place for Marinette, her eyes sparkling with realization. Tikki was watching her with amusement and eagerness. The little creature wanted Marinette to figure this out; it would help them in the long run if she knew the history.

“That textbook from earlier,” Marinette deduced eagerly. “It said something about bracelets with butterfly designs being found in the queen’s tomb! The bracelets were her miraculous stones, weren’t they? And the butterfly design was because Psyche was her kwami!”

Tikki grinned happily up at Marinette, the teen practically glowing as she beamed with pride. Now that she had some of the pieces put together from the past, Marinette reckoned it would be a bit easier to figure things out in the present.

“I have to tell Chat about this tonight!” Marinette whispered enthusiastically. Beginning to put all of the books she had taken out away, the teen paused and bit her lip anxiously. “That is, after I apologize for missing our patrol last night.”

“Don’t worry, Marinette,” Tikki reassured her, settling down into Marinette’s purse. “I’m sure Chat will understand if you explain it to him.”

Marinette nodded, still feeling guilty, but knowing Tikki had a point. “I know that, but I still feel bad. I’ve never missed patrol before and if something had happened…I never would have forgiven myself.”

“I have a feeling Chat will be very forgiving,” Tikki said quietly, not loud enough for Marinette to hear.

* * *

The remainder of the day passed in an odd assortment of blurred interactions and never ending moments. Marinette stood beside her seat, stifling a yawn as she organized her books inside her bag. Picking up the library book containing the information about butterflies, Marinette paused to stare at the cover.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_ She wondered, not for the first time since discovering her miraculous stones. Sighing, the girl shook her head and continued packing. As she was moving to put the book away, someone bumped into her from behind and knocked the book from her hand and to the floor.

Adrien’s hand made it to the floor first, scooping up the book. He straightened up and flashed her an apologetic smile. Marinette managed not to melt from the warmth behind the gesture.

“Sorry, Marinette! I didn’t mean to bump into you. I was looking through some of the books at the back of the room and sort of got distracted on my way down the stairs.” He paused to glance at the cover and gave her a quizzical look.

“I never took you for someone interested in psychology, Marinette,” he said, holding the textbook out for her. Marinette timidly reached out for the book, grinning as she tried to remember how to speak. What was it about this boy that rendered her completely and entirely unable to function normally?

“Oh, I’m not really,” Marinette babbled quickly. “I-It’s just for a uhm…an extra assignment! Yeah…from one of the other professors.”

Patting herself on the back for the quick recovery, Marinette hastily packed away her remaining books. She zipped her bag up and turned to grin broadly at Adrien, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Sorry to keep you! I know that you’re probably crazy busy! I mean with all of your extracurricular activities like modeling and fencing and then there’s also homework. Gosh I don’t know how you do it all! And of course here I am babbling on and on when your ride is probably outside waiting for you! Am I talking too quickly? I probably am. Is it getting warmer in here? Wow I-“

“Marinette, slow down!” Adrien laughed, holding up his hands in front of him. Marinette clapped her hands over her mouth and mentally cursed herself. She could feel the heat spreading from her cheeks and into her ears. Sliding her hands from her mouth to cover her eyes, Marinette shook her head helplessly.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, utterly humiliated. “That was really stupid of me-“

“No!” Adrien cut her off gently. “I know what you were trying to say, but I actually have a question for you.”

That got Marinette’s attention. She immediately popped her head up from where she had left it resting in her hands. Wide blue eyes locked onto what looked like an almost nervous green gaze.

“What is it?” Marinette asked, her heart pounding wildly against her ribs. Anticipation coursed through her veins, wondering what on earth Adrien could possibly need to ask _her_ of all people.

“Uhm, well…” Adrien started off slowly. “See I was wondering if maybe-“

“Marinette!”

Their professor’s voice overwhelmed Adrien’s as she came back into the classroom. Glancing between the two students, she seemed to think nothing of the situation and continued with her interruption.

“Marinette, I need you to stay after for at least ten minutes and help me straighten up the room. We have an inspector coming through in about an hour to make sure the building is up to code.”

“Of course, professor,” Marinette said, disappointed that Adrien had been cut off. He nodded to the professor and started to head out of the classroom. Marinette was about to call after him when he stopped in the doorway and looked back at her.

“I’ll call you later, okay?”

Marinette suddenly felt like she was on cloud nine as she nodded and waved. Stifling her giggles behind her hand, Marinette bounded down the steps towards her professor.

* * *

As Adrien made his way down to the ground floor of the school, Plagg’s head came poking out of his jacket. The small cat eyed Adrien curiously as the teen’s fingers sorted through his blonde hair. Adrien sighed, reaching the bottom of the staircase and pausing.

“What exactly were you planning on asking her?” Plagg piped up, green eyes narrowing suspiciously. The kwami’s voice drawled with amusement hidden behind the curiosity. Adrien looked down at Plagg and smirked.

“Nothing,” he sighed. “Or at least, nothing that can’t be asked later.”

Plagg made a _hmph_ sound at the vague answer, ears pressing down. The kwami burrowed back into Adrien’s jacket, mumbling about how the boy never made any sense when it came to girls. Adrien was left to chuckle as he started towards the main door.

As he walked, a thought suddenly occurred to Adrien.

“Hey, Plagg?” Adrien asked, sure that they were alone in the school building. The kwami’s head poked out of Adrien’s jacket once again. There was mild annoyance written across Plagg’s face.

“What is it now, lover boy?” the small cat grumbled.

“You said you were talking with Ladybug’s kwami earlier. Was her kwami still in the room when I was in there getting you?”

Plagg looked up at Adrien, noticing how the boy seemed to be seriously pondering the situation. The black cat watched the various emotions flitting across Adrien’s face. He appeared confused, hopeful, and excited all at once. The mixture brought a smirk to Plagg’s face, Adrien’s confusion highly amusing for some reason. It wasn’t until Adrien actually looked down at Plagg that the kwami decided to answer.

“Yes,” was the simple answer from Plagg. “The Ladybug was still in the room.”

Adrien’s features became entirely dominated by excitement as he started to try and work things out.

“So that means Ladybug must have been close by! I can’t believe I didn’t notice…” Adrien trailed off, seeming to think something over. His expression faded back into focused confusion.

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on the matter at hand?” Plagg mercifully cut across Adrien’s thoughts. As amusing as it was for the little kwami to watch the boy struggle over something that was so obvious, Adrien did have other matters to lend thought to.

The statement earned Plagg a confused look from Adrien. Sighing, the cat tried very hard not to roll their eyes.

“ _Hetepheres_?” Plagg prompted. “You still don’t know anything about her and I’ve already told you that I can reveal nothing of the past. If you want to figure this out, you’re going to have to start doing some work.”

Adrien scoffed, making his way out the doors of the school. He could see his ride down the street, waiting to cross an intersection. It surprised him that the car was not already waiting for him, but Adrien took the moment of peace without a second thought.

“What, like you? All you do is laze around and eat cheese when we aren’t transformed.”

Plagg shrugged, purring at the thought of cheese. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good slice of Camembert. Speaking of which, when do we eat?”

Adrien rolled his eyes and laughed, tucking the kwami into his jacket. The cold winter breeze bit into Adrien’s cheeks as he wrapped the blue scarf from his father around his neck. The car was pulling up to the school as Plagg’s muffled voice sounded from Adrien’s coat.

“But seriously, when am I going to get some cheese?”

* * *

Marinette puffed out a sigh, clutching the strap of her bag with both hands. Her knuckles were white from the force of her grip. Her attention was not at all on where she was walking, relying entirely on muscle memory to get home.

She was still so flustered about what had happened with Adrien. She wanted to know what he was going to ask her, but now she would have to wait…but that was only if he still wanted to ask her. For once he had actually seemed pretty nervous, and that made Marinette even more nervous than usual.

Then of course that wasn’t the only thing on her mind. There was everything that she needed to tell Chat, on top of apologizing for her absence the night before. Then there was also the matter that she still needed to work on the dresses for the ball and talk to Alya about coming over for another fitting. And to finish it all off, there was homework to do before her nightly patrol.

Raking her fingers through her bangs, Marinette huffed heavily and blinked back to reality. She had apparently wandered down an old short cut she used to take. The street was empty of foot traffic or traffic of any kind. She used to take this way home from school when she was younger. Then it had been bustling with activity. Now it was partially run-down in this area, despite the residential district about a block and a half away.

Pulling her coat around herself tightly, she quickened her pace, attempting to make it back to the bakery faster. She never really liked this part of Paris since it had become like this. Marinette cursed herself for allowing her muscle memory to take her this way. And of course because she had to stay late and help her professor straighten up the classroom, it was already getting dark out. The dusk unsettled Marinette even more; she just wanted to get home.

She was nearly at the end of the abandoned street when a malicious presence washed over her. The chill it brought sent shivers down her spine and drew goose bumps to her skin. Looking over her shoulder and scanning her surroundings, Marinette spotted a hooded figure a couple yards to her left up ahead. Unfortunately, there was no easy way to avoid them.

Shrugging the straps of her bag higher onto her shoulder, Marinette’s fingers were trembling with the force of her hold, her knuckles changing color as well. She could sense the malcontent this person had from half a block away.

Marinette put her head down and walked as fast as she could without being obvious and breaking into a run. As she passed the stranger, she frantically chanted a mantra in her head.

 _Don’t follow me. Don’t follow me. Don’t follow me. Don’t follow me. Don’t follow—_ Marinette glanced over her shoulder.

_They’re following me._

Marinette continued on for another few paces before turning around and glaring at the hooded figure tailing her. They continued towards Marinette even though she had stopped. Her heart was in her throat; the incessant pounding of her blood rushing filled her ears. The figure stopped a couple yards from Marinette, still shrouded by their hood.

“What do you want from me?” Marinette asked, her voice shaky but calling out the challenge anyway. She had hoped to channel more of her inner Ladybug and sound less frightened, but it hadn’t worked. Ladybug or Marinette, she was still terrified.

“Give me your purse,” came the gruff reply. Marinette was about to respond when a familiar voice called down from above.

“How typically cliché of you!”

Snapping her head skyward, Marinette’s gaze caught the black ears perched atop a mop of golden locks easily. Chat Noir landed lightly on the sidewalk a few paces from Marinette. As soon as he was balanced, the witty superhero moved to put himself between the mugger and Marinette.

 _This stupid, selfless cat!_ Marinette thought frantically. _Can’t he see the weapon that person has? He’s going to get himself hurt!_

Upon hearing Chat’s voice, the mugger had pulled a knife from one of the pockets on their coat. The silver blade flashed in the dim twilight. It was sharp and threatening, a deadly tool despite it’s size. Marinette stepped forward and reached for Chat’s arm, gripping his elbow tightly.

“They have a knife, Chat Noir. Be careful,” Marinette whispered, her voice pleading. She was desperately trying to get it across to her silly partner that this was not a situation to be taken lightly.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Chat turned his head to wink at Marinette. A flush crept across her cheeks despite the perilous situation. “I’ve got it under control.” He turned his back to her, facing down the attacker with bravado.

Before Marinette could even open her mouth to protest, Chat Noir had to throw up his defenses. The assailant lunged towards Chat, obviously not as intimidated as Marinette had been lead to believe. The mugger shouted as the knife went plunging for Chat’s chest.

Marinette found that she had backed up against a nearby lamppost. Her heart was frantically trying to break itself out of her rib cage, pounding away at its prison in her chest.

 _Why am I so scared? I’m Ladybug!_ Marinette thought in frustration. Of course, it was at that moment, with Chat and the attacker exchanging blows and battle cries, that Marinette realized she was not afraid for herself.

She was afraid for Chat.

_If he gets into trouble, will I reveal myself as Ladybug? I’ve always said I didn’t want our civilian lives and superhero lives to intermingle…and there’s a stranger here! Will I really reveal my identity to someone I don’t even know? And who’s attacking Chat and I no less!_

As Marinette had her internal debate, Chat flipped nimbly over the mugger’s head, using the person’s shoulder as support. He landed behind them, quickly kicking their knees out from the back. The mugger was determined though; as they fell, they turned and slashed the knife down towards Chat.

The superhero cried out in pain, stumbling back a couple steps. He gripped his upper arm and hunched forward in pain. Marinette’s hand immediately flew to the clasp on her purse, instinct taking over before reason yanked her back down to earth. Chat was grinding his teeth; Marinette could see that from where she stood. But he was still standing and the mugger was essentially dealt with.

They had bumped their head against the pavement, effectively stunning them. And with the hits they had taken from Chat, Marinette guessed that their attacker was not keen on getting up anytime soon.

Police sirens wailed in the distance, a couple streets away as far as Marinette could tell. She looked back to Chat before dashing over to his side.

“We should probably get you out of here. You need to be patched up,” Marinette said breathlessly. “I’m not sure how the police knew about this but-“

“I contacted them before I dropped down,” Chat cut across her, grinning down at Marinette cheekily. “I wasn’t about to go into a fight without some sort of back up.” He paused and gave Marinette a painful shrug. “And since My Lady isn’t with me, I decided the police were the next best thing.”

Marinette tried really hard not to roll her eyes. In truth, she admired Chat’s forward thinking. He had planned ahead and not rushed headlong into the fight. But she still had to get him away from the scene. She really didn’t want to drag Chat Noir, of all people, to her house. But Marinette’s options were limited.

“Come with me,” she said brusquely, before she could change her mind. “I’ll patch you up at my house. It’s two blocks that way.” Marinette pointed in the direction she had been heading before this whole fiasco had begun.

She had fully intended on walking the streets of Paris with Chat, bleeding and in full costume, to her house. But of course, the silly cat had other ideas. Revealing his baton with an expert twirl, he shot her a sly grin.

“Hang on tight,” Chat advised, that ever-present hint of mischief in his tone.

Marinette knew what was coming next; he had done this before when they had faced down the akumatized Nathaniel together. She had been with him as Marinette then, too.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Marinette took a breath and gave him a curt nod. Chat’s baton began to automatically extend, reaching much higher, much faster, than any normal baton would. Marinette knew from previous experience that Chat wouldn’t drop her, but she still held onto his shoulders firmly. They were very high up at this point, and Marinette was not keen on testing Chat’s reflexes when he was injured.

Maneuvering their direction, Chat began the downward arch towards Marinette’s house. He set them down across the street in an alley between two buildings. Marinette still had no idea how Chat controlled his movements with that baton, but she honestly didn’t care to question him at the moment. Releasing her hold of his shoulders, she brushed herself off and straightened her bag.

“That’s my balcony there,” she said, pointing it out to Chat. “I’ll be up in a minute to let you in. I just have to go through the bakery so my parents know I’m home.”

Chat grinned, trying and failing to hide his pain behind the gesture. “I’ll be waiting, Princess,” he quipped before launching towards the roof of the building beside them.

Marinette ducked out of the alley and darted across the street. Pushing her way into the bakery, she was greeted with the warm aroma of flour, dough, and freshly baked bread. Breathing in deeply through her nose, Marinette took a moment to enjoy the familiarity of the bakery.

Her mother was behind the counter, talking with a customer as she packaged an order. Marinette left a fleeting kiss on her mother’s cheek before poking her head into the kitchen. She called a greeting to her father, finding him coated in a layer of flour and kneading a lump of dough.

“Busy as always, I see,” she laughed from the door. Her father chuckled and continued massaging the raw dough.

“We’ve had a lot of people coming in for the seasonal loaves, as always. If you get a chance tonight, maybe you could help us out?”

Marinette smiled and nodded eagerly. “I would love to! I have homework and I would like to work on the dresses for the ball, though. But if I find time, I’ll come help.”

Marinette’s father nodded as he folded the lump of dough in on itself and continued kneading.

“That would be a big help if you could, sweetie.”

Leaving a quick peck on her father’s cheek, Marinette dashed out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. She bolted through the upstairs kitchen, passing Nuit as he buried his head in a bowl of food, and towards the stairs that would take her upstairs.

Marinette flew up the stairs, depositing her bag just inside her door. She released Tikki from her purse, the little kwami smirking at Marinette before flying off to hide. Marinette scrambled up the stairs to her mini loft, making quick work of the skylight’s latch. Shoving the window open, Marinette clambered outside, finding Chat leaning against the railing of her balcony.

He threw Marinette a sly grin, but there was a wince hidden behind it that he couldn’t hide from her. Planting her hands on her hips, Marinette leveled a severe gaze with her partner.

“Inside, now. I’m patching you up, stupid cat.” Marinette could see the surprise flit across Chat’s features at her stern insistence, but she didn’t care. Whether he knew it or not, this was her partner and she was not going to let him just stand there in pain.

Chat started limping over to the skylight. He paused beside Marinette, dropping his hand on her shoulder. He gave her shoulder a light squeeze and whispered, “Thank you,” in such a sincere tone it gave Marinette goose bumps. She could only nod, not trusting her voice to work properly.

As Chat descended through the skylight, Marinette stayed on the balcony for another few moments. What was _wrong_ with her? Since when did she falter and stutter around _Chat Noir?_ He was her partner; there was no reason to be so nervous around him.

Shaking her head viciously, Marinette tried to compose herself. She had a dumb kitty to attend to. Turning back to the skylight, Marinette followed Chat inside.

Ducking back into her room, Marinette left the window open, the cool winter air drafting through her bedroom. Looking around, she found that Chat had already made his way down from her mini loft. Trotting quickly down the steps, Marinette found him at her computer chair.

That would have been fine except for the fact that he had turned her screen on.

When Chat heard the strangled noise that escaped Marinette, he turned and raised an eyebrow at her. There was a very smug look on his face as he glanced between Marinette’s desktop background of Adrien and her petrified expression.

“Stupid cat!” Marinette eventually spluttered. She could feel the burn in her cheeks and knew that she must be bright red. Scrambling over, she shut off the monitor and smacked Chat upside the head.

The idiot didn’t even have the decency to try and cover up his laughter.

Entirely embarrassed and still bright red, Marinette huffed off to her bathroom. She took a couple moments to breathe as she dug out her first aid kit. As she was putting her cabinet back in order, Marinette hoped that Chat hadn’t turned the monitor back on in her leave of absence.

When she left the bathroom and returned to her room, Marinette half expected to be welcomed with mockery. Instead, she found Chat standing in front of the mannequin that was displaying Alya’s gown. He seemed to be running over the design with an almost critical eye.

“Did you make this?” Chat asked, not even turning to look at Marinette. She never understood how he seemed to sense her – and by “her” she meant Ladybug – approaching. Even if she made no noise, he seemed to know where she was.

“Yeah,” Marinette nodded as she set the kit down. “It’s for my friend. There’s a masquerade ball at my school in a few days. I’m making my dress too.”

Chat looked over at Marinette, his vibrant green eyes sparkling behind his mask. When he made eye contact with her, Marinette’s breath caught in her throat at the sincerity in his expression.

“This is amazing, Marinette.”

Flustered, Marinette could only stare at Chat, her mouth slightly agape as she fumbled mentally for a response. Sure, she had been complimented on her work before, even by Mr. Agreste himself. But there was something in the genuineness of Chat’s expression that brought Marinette up short.

Finally, she ducked her head and muttered her embarrassed thanks. She could hear Chat’s chuckle from across the room, only making her flush an even deeper shade of pink.

“Get over here, kitty,” she managed, sounding as stern as possible. She could tell that Chat was dying to make some teasing comment about her current shade of pink, but he obliged without doing so.

Once he was settled, Chat reached for the little zipper hidden underneath the giant bell at his neck. Wincing, Marinette’s partner gingerly slid his injured arm free from the suit.

Marinette got to work immediately, gently wiping away the excess blood, most of it already dried. Chat sat perfectly still, his eyes trained on Marinette’s face. He only winced when she started dabbing disinfectant on the wound. He made a soft hissing noise, blowing the air out through clenched teeth.

“Sorry,” Marinette whispered, flinching back. Chat shook his head and reached out, placing his hand over Marinette’s.

“Don’t worry, it just stings. You didn’t hurt me,” he gently reassured her.

Marinette looked up at Chat and nodded, taking a deep breath. Steadying her hands, Marinette continued to dab at the wound, examining the depth of it as she cleaned away the blood.

“Well,” she sighed eventually. “It’s not as deep as it looks, thankfully. But you are definitely going to be sore for a while.”

“So I’m not going to die?” Chat smirked. Marinette paused long enough to shoot him a playful glare before shaking her head.

“No, you silly cat. You get to live to fight another day.” Marinette turned to grab bandages from her first aid kit. Turning back to her partner, she was slightly startled to find his eyes watching her every movement. It unnerved her a little, but she flushed under the attention anyway.

Pressing a pad of gauze over the cut, Marinette began to wrap the bandages around Chat’s bicep. Even as she focused her attention on what she was doing, Marinette could still feel the weight of Chat’s stare trained on her face. She didn’t know why it was affecting her so much, but the heat that spread across her face said otherwise.

All she could think of as the bandages were wound methodically around Chat’s arm, was what if fortune hadn’t been on his side? What if the mugger had struck somewhere else? Like Chat’s side, or his chest, or his neck? What if Chat had been too wounded to make it back to her house? What if his transformation had worn off in the middle of the street? There were too many ‘what ifs’ for Marinette to be okay. What if he had-

“Marinette,” Chat’s gentle tone startled her, making her fumble with the roll of bandages. Once she had a hold on them again, she stood stone still, staring intently at Chat’s arm and not at his face. His gloved hand appeared in her line of vision, covering her hand.

“You’re shaking,” he whispered softly. “Are you alright?”

Marinette hadn’t even realized it, but she was indeed trembling all over. She closed her eyes and tried to take a deep breath. The attempt failed, however, as she hiccuped and had to cover her mouth with her hand.

“Hey,” Chat whispered, the warm weight of his hand coming to rest on Marinette’s shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked gently.

Marinette took a moment to steady herself before managing to say, “You.”

Chat’s hand retracted immediately. Marinette opened her eyes and found his wide eyes staring back at her. She flinched at the confusion and hurt she found there, shaking her head and trying to amend her statement.

“No, I mean…there are too many ‘what ifs’ with you. What if you hadn’t been so lucky? You-you stupid cat!” Marinette shook her head with an exasperated huff. “You could have died! Why did you put yourself in danger for me?”

Chat didn’t answer her right away. He simply stared at her; his bright green eyes seemed to glow softly in the dim light of Marinette’s bedroom. She had forgotten to turn on a light when she first came in, so now the fading twilight that seeped through the windows was their only source of light. The shadows cast across Chat’s face seemed to deepen the color of his dark mask, only further illuminating the vibrancy of his eyes.

“Because,” his gentle tone dragged Marinette back to their current situation. “I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt.”

Marinette felt the breath leave her throat for a moment, disarmed by the raw honesty of Chat’s statement. But she shook her head the next moment, glaring at him as she tucked the bandages into place. She did not, however, remove her hands from his arm.

“But it’s okay if you get hurt?” she asked, her voice quiet, but filled with anger. She wasn’t really upset with him, just scared. He may not know it, but he was her partner, and she cared deeply about his well-being.

“It’s an occupational hazard,” Chat stated simply, as if that were the end of the matter.

Marinette made an incredulous noise of protest and threw her hands into the air. Pacing back and forth in front of him, she shook her head and muttered for a moment. Chat watched her with mild amusement, tugging his suit back on over his arm. His amusement towards her irritated Marinette; he wasn’t taking this seriously.

“I refuse to accept that,” she turned sharply to face Chat. “Ladybug would never just throw herself in front of someone and take the blow.”

Chat was on his feet now, facing down Marinette. She seemed to have struck a nerve. “You don’t know that,” he practically hissed at her.

“Oh don’t I?” Marinette countered, pushing her weight to the balls of her feet to get closer to Chat’s face. She hated how he had the height advantage over her, but she didn’t let it deter her.

“I’m the one who’s by her side, protecting her and fighting alongside her. She cares about the people of this city and you don’t know what she would do for them.”

“I know that she’s smarter than you.”

“Oh really? And how’s that?”

“I know she wouldn’t carelessly throw away her personal safety the way you did! She would have found a way to get everyone out of that situation without being hurt!”

“You know, I didn’t stop to help you and then accept your help with my injury just to argue about Ladybug’s morals and such!”

“Then why did you stop to help me?”

“Because I care about you, Marinette!” Chat reached over and gripped her biceps in his hands, looking her directly in the eyes as he practically shouted at her.

Marinette gasped softly, freezing in place as Chat bowed his head, maintaining his grip on her arms. They stood like that for a long, suspended moment. The silence pressed in around them, making Marinette’s ears ring faintly.

Eventually, the silence was broken by Chat’s weighted sigh, the sound released from his lips like a burden slipping off his back. He straightened up, releasing her arms but not raising his head. Marinette found herself missing the warmth of his hands. She watched him, unconsciously holding her breath.

“I care about you,” Chat whispered, the phrase said like an apology. It was vastly different from the unashamed declaration he had practically shouted a few minutes before. There was something beneath his caring, something that Marinette was afraid of, but also curious to discover.

“But,” she whispered, her voice cracking a little over the word. “I thought you…and Ladybug-“

“I do,” he breathed. “But I care about you too, and it’s so confusing. But I can’t help it.”

Marinette stared at the top of his bowed head. His messy, blonde mop of hair a stark contrast to his black suit in the grey twilight of her bedroom. There was a whirlwind of emotion throwing about tumultuous feelings inside of her. She cared about Chat too. Of course she cared about him; he was her partner. But there was recently more behind that care, and she had no idea what to do with those feelings, especially when she considered her feelings for Adrien.

Finally, Marinette sighed very softly and whispered, “I think you should leave.”

Chat stood still for a moment, before walking towards the stairs of her loft. His shoulder brushed Marinette’s as he passed. The rush of heat that passed between them left Marinette dazed and confused. She stood like a statue, staring at the empty spot where Chat had been. She could hear him climbing out of the skylight above her bed.

And suddenly she felt like the walls were too close, like there wasn’t enough air. She had left something important unsaid, and she didn’t know when she would see Chat as Marinette again.

So she chased after him to the balcony.

“Chat Noir!” Marinette cried as she scrambled out of the skylight. He was standing at the railing of her balcony, looking out over the night-covered city. Chat’s head turned at the sound of his name, eyes curious but guarded.

Marinette stood, breathing in the cool winter air in large breaths, trying to scrounge together the courage she had moments ago. Maybe it would be easier in the open air, without the walls of her room there to hold everything in. If she said it out here, then the wind could carry it away, far away, and it wouldn’t make her feel like she was betraying Adrien.

“I-“ Marinette started. She took a deep breath and tried again.

“I care about you, too, Chat.”

Marinette waited with baited breath as he turned toward her fully. His eyes were bright, but for the life of her, Marinette couldn’t read the emotion there. She just hoped that he wouldn’t entirely rebuke her.

Chat started towards her, the couple of feet between them feeling like it stretched for miles. Marinette couldn’t tell if they had been standing apart for a couple minutes or a couple hours. But when the gap between them finally narrowed, she could breathe again.

Chat’s gloved hands were on her either side of her face, soft and warm on her skin and essentially hovering instead of cupping her cheeks. She ached for him to actually hold her face instead of this painful medium he was treading in. Looking up at Chat, she found his eyes searching her face intently.

“Forgive me,” he whispered so quietly Marinette almost missed the words that were right in front of her.

“Forgive me if I have misunderstood, but…may I kiss you?”

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath and found her hands reaching for his wrists. She held on to him like a lifeline, not bothering with the in-between of touch like he was.

“I-I have feelings for someone else, Chat…” she tried to protest. Her words lacked much conviction, and she couldn’t even find it in herself to believe her words.

Chat huffed a soft laugh, a breath released from barely parted lips.

“I know. So do I,” he whispered, leaning closer to Marinette. “But I have to know…”

“Know what?” Marinette breathed, her eyes on Chat’s mouth. His lips looked so perfect this close to her face. Like they might fit perfectly with her mouth if they tried.

“How much I like you. Because I’m so confused…and I need to know.”

“Then I suppose,” Marinette whispered, her lips already brushing against his as she spoke. His breath was warm against the flushed skin of her lips, almost like a soundless plea.

“Yes,” she breathed against Chat’s mouth.

There was barely any space left between them, but Chat managed to surge forward and eliminated the remainder of it. His weight made Marinette stumble backwards until she felt the cold brick of the wall against her back. His mouth never left hers the whole time, his lips indeed fitting perfectly against her lips. He took advantage of Marinette’s inability to move and pressed closer, filling every bit of negative space between them with the warmth of his presence.

Marinette was still clutching his wrists, his hands forgoing their hovering and now completely cupping her cheeks. His hold was like a desperate embrace, keeping her in place as their lips continued to press together. Marinette felt like her head was full of air, a weightless sensation spreading through her as she tried to get impossibly closer to Chat.

When he finally broke the connection of their lips to breathe, Marinette found herself gasping in a much needed breath. Her eyes had closed without her knowledge, so she opened them and stared at Chat’s face. He was so close, their foreheads tipped together, bodies pressed close and enveloping Marinette in warmth. The whole encounter had felt electrifying, unfortunately only confusing Marinette further.

“Marinette,” Chat whispered, taking away her breath yet again. He had said her name like a pray, begging for mercy from his tormenting confusion.

“I have to go,” he said softly, his thumbs tracing the line of her cheekbone. “I will see you again, another time.”

Before Marinette could even protest, he was gone, taking his comforting warmth with him. She stood there, staring out over the city as it was draped in the darkness of night. She continued to stand there, trying to make sense of her tangled emotions until the warmth Chat had provided had entirely faded.

* * *

Later that night, Marinette became Ladybug, swinging easily through Paris until she arrived at the Eiffel Tower. Settling down on a beam, she reclined against the support behind her. The metal was cold, just like it had been last time she was up here.

Between the time Chat had left and when she arrived here, Marinette had been able to work on the ball gowns, nearly finishing Alya’s and getting a significant amount of work done on her own. Her homework was finished and she had even helped her parents in the bakery for a little while. She had done anything and everything she could conceivably do to avoid thinking about what had happened with Chat. The more she thought about it, the more confusing everything became.

And now of course she had to do a patrol with him, but as Ladybug.

As if on cue, Chat Noir gracefully landed on the beam near Ladybug, offering her his signature grin as he settled down beside her. He abstained from kissing her hand, and of course Marinette knew why, but Ladybug shouldn’t. She decided not to mention it at all.

“Hey,” she said as casually as possible. “Sorry I missed patrol last night. Something came up at home and I couldn’t get away.”

Chat looked startled, like he hadn’t expected her to say anything about missing patrol. But then he was sheepishly scratching the back of his head and chuckling nervously.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said around his laughter. “I missed patrol, too. I was actually about to apologize to you.”

Ladybug stared at Chat for a moment and then laughed along with him.

“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing nothing happened last night. Anyway,” she quickly changed the topic. “I found some things out and I thought maybe you should know about it. It’s about the previous incarnations of Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Ladybug began to recount everything; beginning with the dream she had had, and everything she had learned about Hetepheres and Psyche being a butterfly kwami. She had even brought along the two books from school to show Chat what she was talking about. As she showed Chat the books, something that looked almost like recognition dawned in his expression. She wasn’t entirely sure what that was about, as it was gone almost as quickly as she noticed it.

By the time she had finished telling Chat everything, it was well past midnight. The winter air was brisk against Ladybug’s cheeks, pricking her skin with its icy fingers and chilling the beam beneath her.

Chat seemed to be pondering what she had said, looking ridiculously happy about something. When she questioned him about it, he looked slightly startled, like he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t be.

“Oh it’s nothing, My Lady. I was just thinking that this is good! We finally know something more about our miraculous. Also,” Chat paused to yawn. “I think that we should skip patrol and head home for the night. Nothing seems to be amiss from here, and I could really use some sleep.”

Ladybug couldn’t argue with his point, and she nodded her head. Stifling a yawn of her own, Ladybug stood and stretched. Her joints popped and warmth started to make its way back into her muscles. Looking down at her partner, who was still sitting, she gave him a little wave.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night, kitty.”

“Yeah, good night, My Lady,” Chat waved, starting to get up as well.

Ladybug tucked the books under her arm and tossed her yo-yo out, swinging away into the Parisian night in the direction of home. Once she was gone, Chat leaned against the support at his back. He stared after Ladybug for a couple moments longer, eventually drawing a question from Plagg.

 _Hey, lover boy!_ Plagg’s voice piped up in Chat’s head. The kwami sounded mildly irritated. _How long are you going to just stand there? It’s freezing and I’m hungry! What happened to you being tired?_

“Plagg…” Chat muttered, straightening up. “I’ve just discovered something wonderful.”

Plagg’s voice continued to question him as Chat Noir leapt away into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I'm horrible...this update is so long overdue and I'm so sorry. But here it is! And I know this one doesn't really...do much? The meat of the story (aka the part I actually WANT to write) is coming up in the next chapter. Also I'll be on spring break next week so hopefully an update will come much faster!

Marinette did not get much sleep the night she kissed Chat Noir. Nor, the night after that for that matter. Her thoughts were swirling with fragments of theory about Psyche and Hetepheres. However, the more she tried to focus, the more Marinette found herself thinking of Chat. There had been something in his eyes when she told him about everything she had learned. Surprise?

She continued to lie in bed for another few minutes, trying to keep herself occupied with random distractions. But the sheets felt too tight, her pillows were too lumpy, and everything around Marinette just felt _wrong_ ; and she had no idea why. Eventually, she groaned in exasperation and shoved herself out of bed. Tikki was curled into a small red ball near one of Marinette’s pillows, fast asleep.

Trotting quietly down the steps of her mini loft, Marinette stretched luxuriously at the foot of the last step. Her elbows popped in a very satisfying way before she made her way over to the hidden mannequins. Alya’s dress was nearly finished, so Marinette grabbed it, wheeling the display over to her sewing corner. The rich fabric swished and shuffled across the floor as it moved. Grabbing a needle and thread Marinette picked up where she had left off with the embroidered embellishments.

The task kept Marinette’s hands busy, allowing her thoughts to be occupied with focusing on the needle rather than everything she didn’t want to think about. Unfortunately, the distraction didn’t last nearly as long as Marinette had hoped it would. The embellishments for Alya’s dress were finished all too quickly, and while she loved the outcome, she couldn’t help but fret. Marinette wondered if Alya would like the dress. But she also worried about what would keep her mind busy now. Eyeing up her own dress, Marinette decided that working on her own gown would be worth the distraction.

Exchanging Alya’s mannequin for her own, Marinette set to work on attaching the panels of her skirt properly. At some point though, the simple back and forth movement of her needle lulled Marinette’s mind into a state of relaxation. In her lax state, Marinette’s thoughts unconsciously turned to Chat Noir and their encounter the night before.

The warm, rushing sensation of his hands cupping her face, the press of his soft lips against her own, and the weight of his hips pressing Marinette between himself and the wall behind her flooded Marinette’s mind. Heat rose into her cheeks and she tried to force her thoughts toward some other topic as she continued sewing.

Their encounter had been strange, unplanned, spontaneous, and disorienting. Marinette had never really addressed her feelings for Chat Noir before, because there was no need to. Adrien was a constant, her emotions towards the sweet model never wavering. Adrien was radiant, intelligent, and so many other wonderful things that Marinette nearly swooned in her chair.

Chat Noir, however…he was an outlier. Her wild partner was always flirting with Marinette’s alter persona, and never seemed to take anything one hundred percent seriously. Yet he had taken hold of Marinette’s lips like he was thinking of her and her alone. There had been no hesitation, no distraction from what Chat was doing. He had not cracked a joke, nor taken Marinette’s feelings lightly.

And that scared Marinette.

What was she supposed to do now? Chat Noir had kissed her.

Oh. _Oh._

Marinette’s movements halted, the threaded needle falling from between her fingers and landing noiselessly on the fabric of her half finished dress. Her mouth gaped as she stared at the wall across from her.

Chat Noir had _kissed_ her. He had kissed _her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng had kissed Chat Noir._

It had happened _last night_. Why was this just now registering with her? Why had it taken so long for Marinette to realize the gravity of the situation? To realize what she had done?

There was no way around the fact that they had kissed, especially because they had not done it in a very inconspicuous way. Chat had kissed her and she had kissed back. Marinette had chased after Chat’s lips, his touch, the way she had always dreamed she could with Adrien one day. And if Marinette had to guess, Chat had done the very same, perhaps envisioning someone he dearly loved in Marinette’s place. 

And for some reason, that thought pulled hard in Marinette’s chest. She felt like someone was trying to tear her heart straight out of her ribcage and into the open air. Suddenly feeling sick, Marinette quickly scooped up her needle and finished off what she was doing. Putting all of her things back, Marinette rushed to her loft and scrambled out onto her balcony. The moment she burst through the skylight, the cold night wind buffeted Marinette’s face. Her cheeks stung from the sudden drop in temperature, making Marinette flinch. She rubbed her arms vigorously as goose bumps pricked up along her skin.

Taking a deep breath of the cold air, Marinette tried to steady herself. Glancing around, her eyes seemed drawn to the spot where she and Chat had stood the night before. Shaking her head, Marinette walked over to the railing of her balcony and leaned against the cool metal railing. She had pulled out her pigtails for the night, so the gentle breeze brushed at the looser strands of hair around Marinette’s face.

As she tried to tuck the floating strands behind her ear, Marinette’s thoughts wandered back to Chat Noir. She couldn’t help but return again to the thought of Chat kissing her like he would someone else. Hiccupping softly, Marinette leaned forward and rested her forehead on top of her folded forearms. Her shoulder’s shook with quiet sobs as hot tears dripped off her cheeks.

A few moments passed before Marinette felt the soft pressure of Tikki landing on her shoulder. Steadying her breath, Marinette lifted her head and swallowed a sob with effort. She stared out at the Parisian skyline, letting the wind dry the warm tear tracks on her cheeks.

“Marinette?” Tikki asked tentatively. “What’s wrong?” 

Marinette shook her head slowly. She pressed her lips together in an attempt to stop them from trembling. She felt like if she tried to explain, she would lose what little control she had just gained back. But she attempted to explain herself anyway. 

“I-I was thinking,” she started, voice shaking. “About last night with Chat. I can’t help but feel like…he wasn’t kissing me.”

Marinette could practically feel the confused look Tikki gave her. She sighed heavily, trying to find the words to explain herself to her kwami.

“I mean,” Marinette tried again. “I know how Chat feels about Ladybug, he makes that abundantly clear. But there could be someone else in his life that he feels the same way about. I know that while I kissed him, I couldn’t help but think of Adrien for a moment. What if Chat was doing the same? Thinking of someone else even though he kissed me?” 

Marinette shook her head a little, her loose hair falling back into her face. There were fresh tears tracking down her pink cheeks, her voice cracking as she continued.

“He had to go and kiss me, confuse me and upset me. Now, I don’t know what I’m feeling; and I’m scared Tikki. I _know_ I like Adrien, but now there’s Chat, too and I don’t know what to do!" 

As Marinette broke down into a fresh bout of sobs, Tikki reached over and gently pat Marinette’s cheek. Tikki let Marinette cry for a few minutes, simply watching and trying to comfort her in any way.

After Marinette managed to calm down, Tikki sighed quietly and spoke up. “Listen, Marinette. I can’t speak for Chat Noir, but I know that you are very much aware of what you want from your life. All you need to do now is make sure that Chat _and_ Adrien are aware of that fact. Otherwise, the situation will only get worse.”

Marinette dragged the heels of her palms across her cheeks, sniffing and trying to speak coherently. She kept hiccupping because of her shorter breaths, making it even harder to talk.

“This isn’t e-even a valid r-reason to be s-sobbing!” Marinette cried out in frustration. “I-I’m just s-so confused! And I c-can’t help but f-feel like C-Chat doesn’t actually k-know if he likes m-me or not!”

Another few minutes passed quietly, Tikki trying to comfort Marinette as the girl hiccupped and sniffed continuously. The drone of late night city traffic buzzed in the distance, filling the silence around Marinette. After a while, her tears mostly dry, Marinette collapsed on the chair she had out on the balcony. Leaning back, she gazed out at the city glumly. 

As she sat, there was suddenly a soft _clink_ against the railing of her balcony. Bolting to her feet with a gasp, Marinette made out the reflective glow of bright green animal eyes amidst the shadows.

“C-Chat Noir? What-?” Marinette had to stop when her voice cracked. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to take a deep breath through her nose. This was not what she needed right now. He was the last person she wanted to see.

Chat pulled himself up on the railing of Marinette’s balcony, perching himself atop the banister. A quirky smile pulled at his lips, sending the familiar cheeky sparkle into his eyes. Chat swung his legs around and sat lazily atop the rail, tilting his head curiously at Marinette’s unresponsive expression. 

“What’s up, Princess? Everything okay?” Chat’s tone was pitched with worry, even as he tried to remain nonchalant. His posture was tense, his shoulders stiff and brow drawn with concern. Marinette had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself steady. Tikki had darted behind Marinette’s lounger, out of sight and staying quiet.

Starting off with shaking her head, Marinette made a point to avoid Chat’s eye. “It’s nothing, Chat Noir,” Marinette muttered. “I’m just not in the mood today.” 

“What happened?” Chat abandoned all pretense of his laid-back demeanor and hopped down from the rail. His movements took him quickly to Marinette, standing above her as he placed his hands on her upper arms.

“What’s the problem? Talk to me, Marinette.”

Marinette had to struggle to take a breath. Chat’s hands on her arms were distracting, the warmth of his touch throwing her back to the night before. The memories were disorienting, dizzying. She shook her head and took a step back, out of Chat’s reach.

“It’s like I said last night,” Marinette said in a tense voice. Looking up with tears in her eyes, she said as viciously as possible, “You’re the problem!”

Chat blinked at Marinette and took a defensive step backwards. The confusion and hurt that flooded his eyes felt like a slap to Marinette’s face. She had never meant to hurt him; she just needed to make things clear. But now that he was here, it was hard not to get upset with Chat. He still seemed to genuinely care about Marinette, but she could not shake the idea that he was still just using her, seeing someone else in her place.

“What are you talking about Marinette?” Chat said quietly. The pain in his tone was enough to make Marinette want to cry all over again. “Is this about what happened last night? I never meant to upset you. I-“ 

“Stop it!” Marinette shouted, surprising both of them. “Just stop it, please! I don’t…I can’t hear anymore of this! You, and us, and _this,_ ” she gestured wildly to the space around them. “It’s too confusing and I can’t take it!”

Chat stared at Marinette, watching as she ranted and trembled. His expression had initially been confused and pained, but now, Marinette couldn’t read it. She didn’t know whether or not that was better or worse.

“I like someone else, Chat,” Marinette said quietly, gaining a little bit of control back. “I like him a lot and having you come here and kiss me is just too confusing. And besides,” Marinette paused, taking in a shaky breath. “I don’t think you really like me.”

Chat sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening a little as he took a step back. He looked down and pressed his lips together. Marinette took that as a sign that she was right and continued.

“I know that you like Ladybug, but I think there’s also someone else in your life that you care deeply for.” Marinette looked down at her hands and twisted her fingers together nervously. “I don’t want whatever you thought was between us to ruin that. And I don’t want it to ruin my feelings for the person I care about. I-“

“You’re wrong, Marinette,” Chat cut across her. Marinette looked back up at Chat to find him staring at her intently. The green fire in his eyes made Marinette’s skin itch, but she refrained from saying anything, waiting for Chat to explain himself.

“I do like Ladybug,” Chat continued. “And I do care about someone other than Ladybug in my life. And it’s you, Marinette. Why would you think that I don’t have genuine feelings for you after I kissed you like that? I promise I’m not lying about this or taking advantage of you!”

Chat Noir stepped towards Marinette, reaching out towards her like he wanted to grab her hand. She immediately stepped away from him, her eyes shimmering with tears. Chat’s ears drooped at her reaction, his outstretched hand falling to his side. 

“I’m sorry,” Marinette’s voice cracked over the apology. “But you need to leave. Now.”

Chat stood quietly for a moment. Looking up, his luminescent green eyes locked onto Marinette and took her breath away. When he spoke, the sincerity straining at his voice nearly broke Marinette.

“I never wanted to hurt or confuse you, Marinette. I hope you can forgive me.”

Marinette turned her back to Chat, squeezing her eyes closed as she waited for him to leave. There was a soft sigh from him, followed by the click of his shoe against the banister of her railing before he leapt off into the night.

Sinking to her knees, Marinette sobbed harshly, letting out a quiet cry before pressing her hand over her mouth. She continued to sob, muffling the sounds behind her fingers as she curled in on herself. Tikki appeared from their hiding place and landed on Marinette’s knee.

“Why does this hurt so much, Tikki?” Marinette gasped around her sobs. 

“Because you still care about him,” Tikki said softly. “Even if you say you love Adrien more, you still care about Chat Noir.” 

Marinette continued to sob for another few minutes, her breathing sporadic as she attempted to calm herself. Tikki remained on her knee the whole time, watching their host with large, sad eyes.

It took Marinette another fifteen minutes to regain some of her composure. When she did, Tikki floated up to her eye level and smiled gently. “Come on, Marinette. Let’s get you back to bed. You still have school in the morning.” 

Marinette nodded and pushed herself to her feet, scooping Tikki into her hand as she stood. She glanced over her shoulder at the city sprawl, her chest aching at the thought of Chat out there somewhere, probably miserable. Sniffing back tears, Marinette descended the little ladder back to her room.

* * *

Chat Noir wondered how many of the neighboring residents heard his shout.

He knew that he couldn’t go back to his house yet, not while he felt like this. Those empty, emotionless walls would not give him any comfort. Not after what Marinette had just said to him.

Flying into an abandoned warehouse in the middle of the residential district, Chat landed roughly, stumbled and collapsed to the floor. He didn’t even bother getting up. He just lay there, hunched over on his knees. Slamming his fists against the cold floor, Chat let out a gut-wrenching shout. He could practically feel it bubble up from his core and send fire through his limbs before releasing the sound into the air. 

Chat squeezed his eyes shut tight as he felt Plagg de-transform him. He didn’t care at the moment. He was just so _mad_ at himself. 

Plagg remained unnaturally silent while Adrien sat on the dirty floor; quivering with emotion he had no idea how to control. Adrien was normally very good and wearing a mask, keeping up a façade for the sake of his father’s reputation. But this – this was something entirely new that he could not seem to reign in.

“Why?” Adrien eventually whispered, his voice raspy and broken. The question was directed at Plagg, who had no clue how to answer. So the kwami waited for Adrien to elaborate, and continued to stare at Adrien intently.

“Why does this always happen to me?” Adrien finally looked up, meeting Plagg’s bright eyes in the dim room. “Why do I always lose the people I love?” The strain of emotion in Adrien’s voice made Plagg blink with surprise. The kwami had no idea how to answer, or if there even was an answer that could be given. But before Plagg could even consider opening their mouth, Adrien continued.

“Is this what comes with being Chat Noir? Is this because I’m _bad luck?_ Is this all my fault?” Adrien’s hands went to either side of his face, fingers curling into fists around clumps of his hair. He pulled tight at the strands he had grabbed onto, gritting his teeth as tears dripped rapidly from his eyes. Adrien was breaking apart in front of Plagg and the kwami had no idea what to do.

“Am I the reason my mother isn’t here anymore?” Adrien asked, his voice so broken and devastated it sent a shock through Plagg. The kwami darted up to Adrien’s eye level, trying to hold the boy’s gaze.

Plagg didn’t know if what they were going to say would help Adrien or not. Regardless, it had to be said.

“I don’t know if what happened with your mother was a result of my presence or not,” Plagg said honestly. “But I do know, that you are not bad luck, Adrien. I can promise you that. I’m sorry that this is your destiny, to be bound to me. I am the one who’s bad luck. Not you.”

Adrien stared at Plagg, his eyes still swimming with tears as he watched Plagg’s gaze drop from his. The little cat’s ears dropped as Adrien’s silence continued. 

“If you really can’t stand what happens with me around, I won’t blame you if you cast away the ring.” Plagg hesitated for a brief moment before continuing, “You wouldn’t be the first Chat Noir to do so.”

The silence that followed stretched between host and kwami for what felt like hours. In reality, it was only a handful of seconds. But when an offer of that magnitude hangs in the balance for so long, everything seems to slow down. Adrien did not answer, only sat on the cold warehouse floor, staring at Plagg’s little body. The kwami couldn’t even meet Adrien’s eyes, too afraid that the decision had already been made, and had accepted their fate.

Adrien eventually shifted, stretching out his hand and scooping it underneath Plagg’s hovering body. He drew the kwami closer and settled back again, Adrien’s feet tucked underneath him. Plagg finally found the courage to look up and meet Adrien’s eyes. The kwami was surprised to find a teary smile playing at Adrien’s lips.

“I could never cast you away, Plagg. My life would be so boring without you.”

Plagg stared up at Adrien for a very long moment, making sure that the sentence processed properly. _Adrien was not going to cast Plagg away_. Baring their little fangs in a wide grin, Plagg practically crowed with joy. The kwami’s celebratory sound drew a laugh from Adrien, the sound genuine and uplifting. Standing, Adrien released Plagg back into the air and wiped at his eyes. 

“Let’s go home, Plagg.”

* * *

Adrien was absent from school that day, leaving the seat in front of Marinette yawningly vacant. When she and Alya asked Nino about it, Nino shrugged and said, “Dude texted me and said he wasn’t feeling to good so he stayed home." 

“But Adrien _never_ gets sick,” Alya protested. “I wonder if he’s okay.”

Marinette nervously chewed at the end of her pencil. She had been sketching out some last minute ideas for her gown, but now she could hardly focus on the sketch, let alone what her professor was saying. She was already worried about Chat and now she was worrying about Adrien on top of that.

“Marinette!” her professor called, snapping her out of her daze. Fumbling with her pencil, Marinette clasped it in her hands before looking up at her professor.

“Sorry!” Marinette squeaked, much to the amusement of her classmates. “What did you say professor?”

Her professor had an exasperated look on her face, one hand on her hip as she shook her head. “I asked if you were paying attention, but you have clearly answered that for me. Anyway, as I was saying…”

Marinette dropped her gaze back to her sketch as her professor continued with the lecture. She shut the little book and tucked it away in her bag morosely. The rest of her day passed in a monotonous blur, her relief finally coming with the last bell.

As she put her things away, Marinette quietly contemplated to herself whether or not she should drop by Adrien’s house to see if he was okay. That of course all depended on if she could get inside in the first place. Marinette winced as she recalled the mess of a time she had tried to give Adrien his birthday gift.

“Girl, you in there?” Alya’s voice cut across Marinette’s thoughts. Her friend dropped a hand onto Marinette’s shoulder and gave her a little shake. Jumping, she turned to Alya and blinked, confused.

“What?” 

“Wow, you really are out of it today. Are you feeling okay, Marinette? You look exhausted,” Alya asked, her expression tightening with worry over Marinette.

Marinette yawned in confirmation and shook her head heavily. “I’m sorry Alya, it’s just been a long couple of days. But don’t worry, your dress is all finished for the ball tomorrow.”

Marinette’s mention of the dress immediately perked Alya’s interest. “Really? Marinette, girl, you are amazing!” Alya reached over and grabbed Marinette’s hands in excitement. “Can I go home with you to pick it up?”

“Of course,” Marinette grinned, the expression feeling odd after being so tense for a couple days in a row. If Alya noticed the weight behind her smile, she didn’t say anything. Marinette was quietly relieved that she didn’t. The middle of their classroom was not exactly the most ideal place for having a breakdown.

As the pair walked out of the school together and towards Marinette’s house, they made small talk, not really focusing on one particular topic. They talked about how they hoped it would snow only a little for the ball. How romantic it would be, to walk over a dusting of snow in a ball gown, how it would make the garden lawn look gorgeous and sparkly. Marinette told Alya about all the embellishments that she had sewn into the gown and that Alya was going to love it. 

By the time they got upstairs to Marinette’s room, Alya was practically bouncing with excitement. Marinette dragged the mannequin over and presented the dress with flourish. Alya practically screamed, she squealed so loudly.

Marinette laughed and tugged the dress carefully over the mannequin and handed it off to Alya. Her friend took the dress and rushed off to the bathroom to change, making excited noises the whole way down the hall. While Alya was out of the room, Marinette climbed up to her mini-loft and let Tikki out of her purse. She also found Nuit curled up on her bed, the little fluff ball purring happily. Marinette reached down and scratched behind his ears, drawing a pitched purr of acknowledgement from Nuit.

As Marinette walked back down from her mini-loft, Alya came swooping into the room, the voluminous skirt swishing and swirling around her. Alya’s face was alight with joy and excitement.

“Marinette!” she practically yelled. “This dress is _gorgeous_! How on earth did you make it in such a short amount of time, and do it so well? Girl, you got a gift!”

Flushing under her friend’s praise, Marinette laughed and shook her head. “Well, I’m glad you like it! Do you feel like there’s anything that needs to be adjusted at all?”

Alya continued to move around in the dress, twirling and doing little jumps. She started to strut and pose and eventually descended into giggles as Marinette laughed along with her friend. Finally, Alya gracefully sat herself down on Marinette’s lounge chair and fluffed the skirted.

“No, it feels great! Like I could wear it anywhere, anytime, and feel like a princess while doing whatever it is I’m doing!” Alya beamed and pat the cushion next to her. “Come and sit down, Marinette. I have a question for you.”

Marinette, taken aback at the sudden change in topic, stared at her friend for a moment before she moved to sit down beside her. She sat down cautiously, not entirely sure where Alya was going with this. Normally Alya was very straightforward, so this suspicious transition was worrying.

“Did I do something wrong?” Marinette asked with apprehension. “Am I in trouble?”

Alya chuckled and shook her head, grabbing her friend’s hand. “No, no, you aren’t in trouble. It’s just…well – you’ve been kind of out of sorts for the past day or two. I’m worried about you. Is everything okay? Do you need to talk about anything?”

Marinette felt her throat close up. It took all her power to not break down in tears right there. She really wanted to tell Alya, she wanted to tell _someone_ about how she could barely get through the day without thinking about Chat and the look on his face when she had shouted at him. There was no one she wanted to talk to about the whole messy situation with more. But…she couldn’t do it. 

“Oh, yeah,” Marinette said as casually as possible. “Sorry to worry you, but it’s just because I’ve been up so late the past few nights working on the dresses. You know, lack of sleep messes with people!” 

Alya looked at her with an expression that made it obvious she was not buying Marinette’s excuse. Marinette squirmed a little under Alya’s gaze, not wanting to give in. That would mean she would have to explain more than she wanted to.

“Look I swear, Alya. I’m okay. I’m just super tired from staying up so late. Plus, now I’m worried about Adrien. It’s like you said, he never gets sick, so I just hope he’s okay.”

Alya’s expression softened, squeezing Marinette’s hand gently in her own. With a shake of her head she sighed, “Marinette, girl, you can’t get yourself worked up over stuff like this. Adrien’s probably just got a head cold or something. Everyone gets sick, it’s just that he’s got a strong immune system; so when he does get sick, it’s weird.

“And I appreciate you staying up so late to work on the dresses for the ball, but this dance is not as important as your health, Marinette. Please take a nap or something, for my sake?”

Marinette sighed quietly and nodded her head. She looked down at her hands where Alya still had a grip on them, trying to avoid eye contact.

“I will,” Marinette said eventually, not in a very convincing way. Alya was quiet for a few moments before she let out a very heavy sigh. Her friend released Marinette’s hands and stood, smoothing out the fabric of the skirt.

“I’m going to get changed and then I have to go home. My mom is working late tonight so I have to start getting dinner ready so we can eat when she gets home. But, if you need anything, just text me okay? I’m still worried about you Marinette.”

Marinette looked up at Alya, biting the inside of her cheek as her friend walked off towards the bathroom. Pushing herself to her feet, Marinette went back up to her bed and scooped Nuit up off the mattress. The little kitten made a sound of protest at being removed from his napping position. But he settled easily against Marinette’s chest, resuming his gentle purr as she stroked his back.

Heading back down, Marinette made it to the bottom of the stairs as Alya came back into Marinette’s bedroom. Putting Nuit down on her lounger, Marinette waited as Alya gathered up her bag and handed the gown off to Marinette. Putting it in a dress bag for Alya, Marinette carried it back over to her friend.

“Thank you again, Marinette,” Alya smiled warmly. “For making this dress for me. You are an amazing friend, I hope you know that.” 

Marinette smiled genuinely and hugged Alya fiercely. She loved her friend dearly, her friend that was always there for her, always helping Marinette with her mistakes and never getting irrationally upset when she made a blunder. Marinette could talk to Alya about anything.

Anything but Chat Noir, that is. Marinette could still feel the guilt of not telling Alya sitting in her stomach like a rock. She wanted so _desperately_ to tell someone; but she just couldn’t do it.

Alya pulled back and gave Marinette a quick smile before she gathered up her dress bag and started to head out. Biting her lip, Marinette tried not to call her back to tell her everything. But she quickly realized that she had to say _something_.

“Alya!” Marinette blurted out suddenly. Alya turned, a look of mild surprise on her face. She gave Marinette an expectant look as she stood at the top of the steps in Marinette’s bedroom.

“Thank you, for everything you said,” Marinette managed to get out. Her voice sounded quiet and awkward after loudly calling Alya’s name. Nuit was still sitting on Marinette’s lounger, and he mewled into the silence, making both of them giggle. Alya waved goodbye to Marinette, saying, “Of course, girl. What are friends for? I’ll see you tomorrow night at the ball.”

“See ya,” Marinette responded before heading over to pick Nuit up again. This time, the little kitten was ready for her, rearing up onto his back paws before leaning his weight onto her kneecap. Chuckling, Marinette bent over and scooped the little fur ball into her arms. Curling up against her chest, Nuit purred loudly with content.

“You have it so easy, Nuit,” Marinette sighed, scratching the kitten behind his ears. As if in reply, Nuit mewed and angled his head for more scratches. Smiling, Marinette continued to fawn over the kitten for a little longer. Eventually Marinette turned to her dress, nearly finishing it before giving up for the day. She sat around, not sure what to do with herself for a long time. After a while, she resigned herself to doing homework. Just because her life was jumbling together and throwing her off, didn’t mean she could forsake her grades. After about three hours of working, Marinette folded her arms atop her desk and buried her head there.

* * *

“Come on, Marinette!” Tikki chirruped, darting around Marinette’s head. The little red kwami had been trying to convince Marinette that she had to go on patrol for nearly twenty minutes. If they continued at this rate, they would just miss the patrol entirely. Tikki had a vague suspicion that that was exactly what Marinette wanted to happen.

Marinette raised her head from her arms, having not moved from her spot since finishing her homework. Looking up at Tikki, she pouted, her lower lip sticking out as far as she could manage. Her kwami floated above her, giving Marinette a look of exasperation.

“I don’t want to, Tikki,” Marinette mumbled, dropping her head back down onto her arms. “I don’t want to see Chat, yet. I can’t face him. And I know that if I go it would be as Ladybug, but that doesn’t make a difference! It would still be _him_!”

“Oh, Marinette,” Tikki’s voice sighed. “You can’t stay away from Chat Noir forever, you know. You’ll have to get back out there sometime. And what if something happens tonight? What will Chat do without his partner?”

Marinette sighed heavily and peeked up at her kwami before dropping her gaze again. Tikki made an incredulous noise above Marinette’s head before dropping onto Marinette’s arm.

“You’re so stubborn sometimes,” Tikki mumbled. “Fine. If you don’t want to go on patrol with Chat Noir, then you and I can talk a little more about Psyche and Hetepheres. You haven’t done any sort of research on them since this whole mess with Chat started! It’s been days since your dream and that dance Chloe’s father is hosting for the school is tomorrow night! You should think about this _now_.”

Marinette groaned and lifted her head to stare at her kwami. “I know all of that. But…I’ve found everything I can on Hetepheres. She wasn’t exactly a well-know queen in history. Also, butterflies only have so much lore on them that isn’t scientific. I don’t know what else to look for!”

Tikki shook their head and floated up to Marinette’s eye level. “Then maybe getting out for the night will clear your head. We should at least check in with Chat Noir. He’s already worried about Marinette, let’s not make him worry about Ladybug, too.”

Marinette sighed and pushed herself to her feet, much to the delight of her kwami. “I suppose you have a point, Tikki. Let’s head out.”

Once Ladybug had transformed, she flew from the balcony, swinging across the Parisian skyline. As she headed for the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug took in deep lungsful of the cold fresh air.

 _You’ll be okay, Marinette,_ Tikki spoke inside of Ladybug’s head. _Chat is still your friend, even if things are complicated right now. Just act like you always do, and everything will be okay._

Ladybug sighed softly as she continued to swing above the rooftops. She knew that Tikki was right, but she was still apprehensive about seeing her partner. Ladybug had no idea how Chat would act around her because of what had happened between him and Marinette.

Swinging her way up onto the normal beam that she met Chat on, Ladybug settled against one of the supports. The wind this high up was crisp, clean, and freezing. Thankfully, the cold air didn’t really affect the exposed skin on her face. Tikki’s magic through her outfit kept most of the cold out.

The city seemed so peaceful from hundreds of feet above the rooftops. Ladybug was removed from the traffic, the conversations, the masses and crowds. Up in the sky, perched on a beam of a landmark, she could see everything sprawled before her, but none of the individuals occupying that sprawl. It threw the gravity of her responsibility as Ladybug into a stark light.

Snapped from her thoughts at the familiar sound of metal on metal, Ladybug glanced over to the noise. Sure enough, Chat Noir’s baton was wedged between two support beams, holding the staff in place as he ascended the Tower. As Chat Noir landed on the beam near Ladybug, she pushed herself upright from where she had been leaning against the support. Resting her hands on her hips, she tried to smile genuinely. 

“Evening, Chat!” Ladybug called across the beam cheerfully. “Ready for patrol?” 

Chat looked up at her, his expression guarded as he barely returned her greeting. Ladybug felt as if she had been slapped. He was still very obviously tense over what had happened the other night. But of course, Ladybug didn’t know about any of that.

“Chat? What’s wrong?” Ladybug asked, feigning ignorance. But the concern in her voice was entirely genuine, making her lie that much more believable to her own ears.

Chat was quiet for a couple moments before he replied in a tense voice, “It’s nothing. Let’s just get to patrolling.”

Ladybug wanted to press Chat, get him to open up a bit to her. But she knew that pushing him would probably not help at all; and by the time she opened her mouth to protest, he had already started off above the city streets. Pushing out a weary sigh, Ladybug threw her yo-yo and swung off after Chat.

Sometimes they split up for patrols, and other times they stuck together. Ladybug couldn’t explain it, but she had a strange feeling that tonight should be a night they stuck together.

Chat Noir and Ladybug raced across the rooftops of Paris, flying over the gaps between buildings and scrambling over obstacles. The night sky was clear and the air was cold, the superheroes’ breath billowing from their mouths in clouds. Things were fairly quiet throughout most of the patrol.

They paused on a rooftop across the Seine from Notre Dame, catching their breath as they looked out over the district. Ladybug kept glancing sideways at Chat as they stood side by side. She wanted to say something – anything – to break the awkward, heavy silence that was hanging between them. Ladybug hated this feeling of not knowing what to say to him. He was always so easy to talk to before…and now she had gone and let things get messy with him in _both_ of her lives.

As Ladybug opened her mouth to speak, there was a sudden, loud commotion from the square beside the cathedral. On instinct, Ladybug and Chat had their weapons out and were traveling quickly to the other side of the river.

It didn’t take them long to arrive in the square, and it took even less time to find the cause of the commotion. There was a person standing not to far from Ladybug and Chat Noir; and they had obviously been akumatized, if their exotic color palette was anything to go by.

“Who are you?” Ladybug called across the stretch of grass between them. She tried to scan over the latest akuma, trying to spot any familiar or unique feature that might give her a clue as to who the victim this time was. Unfortunately, there was nothing that stood out to her.

“I am The Illusionist!” the akuma crowed in a haunting voice. “And no one will be able to stop me! I am everyone’s greatest fear!”

Ladybug’s lips pressed together in a tight line. She and Chat exchanged looks before charging at the Illusionist from both sides. The villain watched them come towards him with a calm demeanor, a devilish smirk playing on his lips. In his hand he held a staff like object, one that he started to wave around as Ladybug and Chat Noir approached him. A dark purplish cloud of smoke began to take form around the head of the staff.

Hesitating, Ladybug stopped where she was and dropped into a defensive position. Risking a glance in Chat’s direction, she could see that he had stopped as well. If this had occurred a few months ago, Chat would have foolhardily continued to dash at the Illusionist. But they had both matured, both gotten used to their powers. They were careful and-

“Look out!” Chat’s voice cut through Ladybug’s thoughts, just as the Illusionist swept his staff in her direction. An invisible blast caught her by surprise, knocking her down and disorienting Ladybug. Cursing herself for letting her emotions and thoughts get in her way, Ladybug pushed herself to her hands and knees with a groan.

“My Lady!” Chat cried desperately. He was running for her, trying to get to her. There was a frantic light in his eyes as he poured on the speed. 

Ladybug looked up just in time to see a cloud of the Illusionist’s vapor descend upon her. There was no way for her to avoid the fumes, but she still tried in vain to launch herself sideway to avoid it. The purple smoke surrounded Ladybug, making her cough as she breathed it in. 

Waving the last of the cloud away from her face, Ladybug looked up and froze in place. Her breath hitched in her throat and made her chest feel tight, almost like she was wearing a corset strung too tightly.

Surrounding the square was every akumatized villain that she and Chat had faced. They were all snarling viciously at her, prowling and stalking towards her. Every one of them seemed to be much more terrifying than they had originally been. They all seemed darker, more malicious, and Ladybug was terrified. Her breathing kept hitching in her throat and her heart was beating wildly with fear.

“There’s nothing you can do now,” a sinister voice drawled mockingly behind her. Ladybug spun around, and cried out like she had been stabbed in the gut. HawkMoth stood victoriously over a limp Chat Noir, the villain’s eyes glittering with malice.

“At last, we reach an end of the Miraculous Ladybug. You have been such a pest, especially in this lifetime, Ladybug. Now,” HawkMoth sneered at Ladybug. “If you hand over your miraculous stones, I won’t harm you or your precious cat. You can both go free.”

Ladybug could do nothing but gape in terror at HawkMoth. When had this happened? When had he gotten here and struck down Chat? Where had all of the akumas come from? Why was she suddenly so _helpless_?

“I will not wait forever, Ladybug! I already have Chat Noir’s miraculous for the taking. Do not make this harder for yourself. Or for your precious kitty,” HawkMoth’s voice was imbued with arrogant victory. He gave Chat’s limp form a kick for good measure, drawing a pained noise from Ladybug.

She had no idea why Tikki was being so silent in her head. Her faithful kwami offered no advice, no helpful suggestion as to how they could get out of this predicament. But as soon as she thought that, Ladybug realized that she could hear a soft, distant call from deep within her mind. It almost sounded like Tikki.

_Marinette! Look out!_

Still paralyzed with terror, Ladybug had no idea what Tikki was talking about. There was nothing to watch out for. All hope was lost and none of the akuma was making any move toward her. They all taunted her from a distance, waiting for HawkMoth to make the first strike. She wanted to call back to Tikki, ask what she could possibly-

Ladybug suddenly hit the ground hard, hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She struggled to gasp for a breath, her lungs desperate for air that was not there. As she struggled, the sounds around her faded and blurred together. She vaguely heard Chat crying out in rage before the din of a fight pressed down around her.

Eventually, Ladybug was able to gasp in a breath, enough to get her the energy to sit up and look around. As she sat up, Ladybug put a hand to her head, trying to keep the world from spinning wildly around her.

There was a cry from Ladybug’s right that drew her attention. Fearfully thinking that it could have been Chat, Ladybug felt her muscles tense with energy that she did not have to launch herself into the fray. That tension soon faded, when her eyes landed upon Chat, standing victoriously above the Illusionist, his pendent crushed beneath Chat’s foot.

Ladybug tried to haul herself to her feet so she could purify the akuma already trying to flutter away. If she let the akuma get any further away, she would have no hope of finding it again. And much worse things would happen…

Chat looked up from the pendant under his foot and caught sight of the escaping akuma. In one swift motion, he reached out and snagged the little creature between his hands. Ladybug tried to cry out, but she was still short on breath. Her call came out much more strangled than she meant it to.

“Chat! What-“ Ladybug’s hoarse voice scratched at her throat and she coughed harshly.

Her partner didn’t seem to hear her call, as he seemed entirely zeroed in on the akuma captured in his hands. There was a crackling sound that filled the empty square, buzzing and humming that almost sounded like electricity. Ladybug stumbled to her feet in shock as she watched Chat.

Inky black arcs of magic twitched and curled around his forearms and eventually faded. Perhaps faded was the wrong word though. It looked more like Chat had _absorbed_ the energy that had curled around his arms. Ladybug could only watch in stunned horror as he opened his hands and let a pure white butterfly fly away. They stayed like that for a while; Ladybug staring at Chat’s back from where she sat on the ground.

His broad shoulders seemed to blend into the night sky, the city lights the only thing illuminating his silhouette. Ladybug eventually pushed herself to her feet. Her chest still felt a little tight, and she was sore in multiple places. But she pushed on toward Chat anyway.

“Chat?” she asked tentatively, her voice cracking a little. When he didn’t show any sign of acknowledgement, Ladybug reached out a tentative hand, slipping it onto his leather clad shoulder.

It was then that Chat flinched violently, pulling his shoulder back and away from Ladybug’s reach. As he turned, Ladybug caught sight of his face, and she couldn’t help but gasp. He looked so hurt, so angry and broken that it pulled at something in Ladybug’s chest.

“Don’t touch me!” Chat shouted at Ladybug, startling her into taking a few steps back. Chat looked positively livid, an expression that Ladybug had never seen on him before. She retraced her steps towards Chat, putting on a firm expression.

“What is wrong with you? All night you’ve been acting stiff and distant, and I’m getting tired of it!” Ladybug hated yelling at Chat like this, especially since she knew that _she_ was probably the cause of it. But this was getting ridiculous. “We’re supposed to be a team, Chat! How can we work together if you’re acting like this?”

Chat took a couple of menacing steps towards Ladybug, his height towering over her. Normally his presence made her feel safe, secure. But now that it was being used against her, it was terrifying.

“This is _your_ fault!” he shouted, getting in Ladybug’s face. “I always feel like it’s my fault when something goes wrong in a fight, but this one is your fault. Not mine!” Chat was practically snarling at Ladybug, and despite herself, she took a step back, frightened.

“Chat…what are you talking about?” Ladybug’s voice shook, her confusion evident. “Why do you feel like you’re the one to blame? I never blamed you!”

“You never said anything! Ever! You always expect me to be there, to save you. And I try my best, I swear,” Chat’s voice had descended into a tone of desperation. His eyes were still flaming with rage, even though he sounded so broken. “But I can’t always be there, like tonight. And you don’t say anything, but I know you still blame me.”

“No, I never thought that!” Ladybug protested. “I’m grateful for the times you save me, and I don’t blame you, honestly!”

“But you don’t trust me!” Chat shot back, suddenly furious again. “You don’t trust me to do things right. You always have to take control and be the one to save the day. I’m just here to act like a bodyguard, an extra set of hands…hands that destroy everything they touch.”

Chat’s voice had faltered and gone quiet at the end of his sentence. Ladybug could do nothing but stare at him, her mouth slack with shock. She had had no idea Chat was feeling this way, but now he had thrown all of his feelings into the open. Not knowing what else to do, Ladybug took a small, cautious step toward Chat. Her partner tensed, but he did not retreat this time.

“Chat,” she whispered, voice cracking with emotion. “I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to make you feel that way.” Ladybug tried to reach out her hand to Chat, trying to find a way to grab onto some of the shattered pieces of her relationship with him.

But Chat tugged his hand out of her reach, staring angrily at the ground. “No, I’m sure you didn’t,” he muttered darkly. “But you did anyway. I thought I could trust you. I trusted you more than anyone in my life. But…you don’t trust me. Not entirely. Now I see that you’re no better than the others in my life.”

“Chat Noir, please!” Ladybug tried to beg, but he stopped her with a look.

“My kwami told me once that nothing was possible without you. But they never told me that nothing was possible without me.”

“Chat…no please don’t do this. I need you. You’re my partner.” Ladybug could feel the telltale sting of tears pricking at her eyes. She didn’t try to hold it back as her vision blurred. Her partner was standing here, rejecting her entirely. Now there was no hope of fixing the mess she had created earlier.

“Good luck, Ladybug. Not that you need it.”

And just like that, Chat Noir was off into the night, disappearing into the shadows across la Seine. Ladybug stood in the lawn, staring after him with a heartbroken expression and tears streaming down her face. The confused akuma victim sat on the grass a couple meters away, rubbing his head and staring around in confusion. He reminded Ladybug that her job was not done when he cleared his throat.

“What am I doing here?” he asked. When his eyes landed on Ladybug’s tearful expression, he scrambled to his feet and walked over quickly. “What happened? Where’s Chat Noir?”

Ladybug quickly wiped at her cheeks and tried to smile at the civilian. Her wobbly smile drew a concerned look from the latest victim, but she ignored it. Looking around, Ladybug took a deep breath.

“Sorry, are you alright? What’s you’re name?”

“Thomas,” he said. Looking at the superhero skeptically, Thomas frowned. “Where did Chat Noir go? And why are you upset?”

Waving off Thomas’ questions, Ladybug smiled as genuinely as possible. “The silly kitty had to go before his transformation wore off,” Ladybug lied easily. “And I just got something in my eye. Probably some dust or something. I’m fine. Can you make it home by yourself?”

Thomas nodded and placed a hand on Ladybug’s shoulder before she could swing off into the night. “Thank you, for saving me.”

Ladybug smiled and nodded at Thomas before throwing her yo-yo to latch to a building on the other side of the river. Looking back at Thomas, Ladybug said, “Of course, Thomas. Have a good night!”

Waving a quick goodbye, Ladybug swung off into the night sky.

* * *

The first words out of Plagg’s mouth upon Adrien’s detransformation were, “What were you thinking? One of the first things I told you when we started this partnership, was that _Ladybug_ cleanses the akuma! Not you!”

Adrien collapsed face down on his bed and sighed heavily into the pillow. He felt horrible, physically and emotionally. Only half listening to Plagg, Adrien mumbled into his pillow and didn’t even bother raising his head to speak clearly. The past two nights had been horrible. He had lost Marinette and Ladybug; which was disorienting given they were the same person.

Having come to that realization when Ladybug – or Marinette – had shown Chat the textbook Marinette had taken after showing it to Adrien, telling him about the stuff he had spoken with Marinette about. Everything had fallen into place, and Adrien was thrilled that his lady was also his princess.

But things had turned sour, and he should have seen that coming. Adrien always did have the rottenest luck. Marinette had become confused with her feelings between Chat Noir and some other bloke that she liked. Bitterly, Adrien wondered who she liked so much that she would reject him so harshly.

“Hello?” Plagg’s annoyed tone tugged Adrien back from his self-deprecating thoughts. “Anyone in there? Have you listened to a thing I’ve said?”

Adrien glared at Plagg and shook his head before biting out a harsh, “No, I haven’t.”

“Oh no,” Plagg groaned, dropping to sit on Adrien’s mattress, directly in front of the boy’s face. “It’s happening already.”

“What’s happening?” Adrien questioned bitterly, narrowing his eyes at Plagg. The little kwami wasn’t making much sense and Adrien was really _not_ in the mood to try and decipher the cryptic little messages Plagg loved to spew instead of real answers.

“You absorbed the akuma’s negative energy, _without_ Ladybug’s yo-yo. Which is what I was saying earlier. When I first met you I told you nothing was possible without Ladybug and this is why! You’ve taken in the negative emotions instead of letting Ladybug cleanse them.”

“So what?” Adrien grumbled. “I’m not that useless. I can deal with a little negative emotion. It’s nothing new to me.”

Plagg huffed and flopped sideways on the sheets, shaking their head from side to side. “You need to stay home tomorrow. There’s no way the negative emotions will be gone by then. And you’re going to feel pretty bad for most of the day.”

"But I missed today too! If I miss too much school, Father won't let me continue to attend!" Adrien protested, eyes sparking with anger. "He's so strict he just makes me-" Catching the look in his kwami's eyes, Adrien seemed to deflate and he looked away.

“Whatever,” Adrien grumbled, rolling to one side so he wouldn’t have to look at Plagg. The little black cat sighed as they stared at Adrien’s back. It was never meant to go this far, and Adrien was never meant to lose Ladybug as a partner.

“Believe it or not kid,” Plagg said quietly. “I’m trying to look out for you.”

* * *

“What am I going to do Tikki? He…absorbed the energy? There’s no way that’s a good thing. That can’t possibly be a good thing!” Marinette was pacing furiously back and forth in front of her bed. Her hands tugged at her pigtails and her fingers tangled in her hair. The mission had been a disaster. Getting herself knocked down had been bad enough, but then being so out of it that Chat had done…whatever that was?

It was an unacceptable failure.

“Marinette, you need to calm down,” Tikki chirped, a half-eaten cookie sitting in front of them. “You’re going to work yourself up to the point of passing out.”

Knowing that her kwami was right, Marinette sat down with a heavy sigh and dropped her face into her hands. Shaking her head, she tried to find a way to put some sort of positive light on the situation. As if reading her mind, Tikki piped up from beside Marinette on the mattress.

“Look on the bright side, Marinette! You’ll get to see Adrien tomorrow at school! Maybe he’ll make you feel better! And if not, there’s always Alya. And you know that she’s always there for you.”

Smiling sleepily, Marinette bent down and kissed the top of her kwami’s head. Dragging herself up to her pillows, Marinette collapsed among them and yawned largely. Nuit leapt up onto the bed and curled up in the crook of Marinette’s elbow. He mewed softly and nuzzled Marinette’s arm. Smiling, she flipped onto her side and stroked Nuit’s fur as she yawned.

“That’s true…seeing Adrien will be nice.”

Tikki watched as Marinette quickly dropped off to sleep. The kwami shook their head and smiled fondly at their host. Drifting over to the light switch, Tikki tugged it into the ‘off’ position, shrouding the room in gentle darkness, before curling up next to Marinette’s head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I-I really don't have an excuse as to why this took so long. I just...couldn't seem to sit down and get it //done//. But HERE IT IS. Chapter Four! Finally...  
> So anyway I have no freaking clue as to when Chapter Five will be posted but I do know that my summer class is about to end, and so I should have some free time and hopefully motivation to write the juicy parts that I've been wanting to write this whole time. This chapter is slightly shorter than the others because it is mostly transition and prep for the big stuff. If you're curious for updates, please check my blog miraculous--kitty.tumblr.com as I tend to put updates there.  
> As always thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments!! Your support is what reminds me and encourages me to keep writing! <3 Much love until next time!

When Marinette got to class, she realized that the seat beside Nino was empty yet again. Her heart dropped, something uncomfortable settling in the pit of her stomach. Since being allowed to start coming to school, Adrien hadn’t ever been absent. And now he had missed two consecutive days. Chewing at her lower lip, Marinette regretfully made her way up the steps and slid into her seat beside Alya. 

“Nino,” she said, reaching forward to tap her friend’s shoulder. “Is Adrien still not feeling well?”

Nino turned, finding Marinette and Alya watching him with attentive eyes. He shrugged his shoulders slightly as he sighed.

“Not sure this time. Dude never texted me back or anything.” Nino’s voice was laced with worry, his eyes creased at the edges. His tone showed just how worried he was for his friend. “I would go check on him myself, but his father doesn’t like me,” Nino said bitterly. “And I _really_ don’t feel like dealing with that guy.”

Marinette let out a shaky breath and leaned back in her seat. “Thanks anyway, Nino.” 

Nino nodded and exchanged looks with Alya. She reached forward and rubbed at her boyfriend’s shoulder comfortingly before Nino turned back around in his seat. Alya glanced sideways at her friend, seeing Marinette anxiously chewing on the end of her pen. Pressing her lips together, Alya turned to face Marinette.

“Hey, girl,” she dropped a hand onto Marinette’s shoulder. “You okay? You seem really worried.” From the look Alya got, she easily guessed the answer. “I’m sure Adrien’s fine,” she tried to reassure Marinette.

“Yeah,” Marinette murmured, very obviously not convinced and still distracted. She kept chewing her pen for a few moments before looking over at Alya. 

“I’m just worried. He never misses school. And the dance is tonight…you _know_ I was hoping to see him there. I _really_ wanted to see him there.”

Alya pushed out a sigh and propped her chin onto her hand, leaning against the desktop. Marinette was staring down at her hands, looking like a kicked puppy dog. Rubbing at her temple, Alya scooted closer to Marinette and tried to catch her friend’s eye. 

“Hey, Mari,” she said, tilting her friend’s chin up. “You’ve worked super hard on that dress of yours; and I for one want to see what it looks like at the ball. You should drop by Adrien’s house after school and see how he’s doing. Convince him to come see you in that gorgeous ball gown of yours.”

Marinette felt her cheeks flush at the thought of Adrien seeing her in her dress. Alya always knew exactly how to get Marinette into action. She smiled at her friend and leaned in to hug Alya.

“You’re right, I’ll stop by his house after school. Maybe he’s just really busy today.” Marinette grinned at Alya, feeling a lot better. They continued to make small talk until their professor came into the classroom. The entire room’s attention went to her when they realized that the headmaster was trailing behind her. The room was already silent as he turned to face the class.

“Students, as you are all aware, the ball hosted so generously by Chloe’s father is supposed to be held tonight at the Jardin des Plantes. However, due to some maintenance issues, I have been informed that the ball will be held tomorrow evening at the same time. Please make sure that any classmates who are absent today are aware of this change.”

Marinette dropped her head to the desk as the headmaster walked out of the classroom. She groaned softly and rolled her head to the side, looking up at Alya. Her friend was smirking down at Marinette.

“Should I still go over?” Marinette mumbled.

“Of course!” Alya bumped Marinette’s shoulder with her fist. “Now you have another reason to go. You have to tell him that the ball’s been moved. And you can wrap it around wanting to check up on him. C’mon girl, buck up!” 

Marinette straightened, lifting her head up off the desk, and set her shoulders. “You’re right. I can do this.”

* * *

“I can’t do this,” Marinette panicked, two seconds after pressing the doorbell at Adrien’s front gate. Her pulse was pounding against her temples, and she contemplated running off before Mr. Agreste’s assistant could answer the door. Somehow she had retained her courage long enough to ring the bell. But it had now spontaneously abandoned her.

“Hello?” Natalie’s voice came through the intercom, sounding as monotonous as ever. Marinette squawked and flailed for a moment. She immediately gathered herself and straightened up.

“Yes, um h-hello. My name is Marinette. Is A-Adrien here?”

“Why?” Natalie asked bluntly, making Marinette wince.

“I-I um…” Marinette fumbled with her bag and pulled out a small stack of papers. She held them up to the little camera device and grinned sheepishly. “I have the school work he missed. And I’m a friend of his. M-May I come in?”

There was a pause, silence on the other end of the intercom. Fearing that she was going to be sent away, Marinette held her breath. She was so anxious that she stood stone still, not even daring to breathe out.

“Very well,” Natalie’s voice finally responded. “You may come in.”

Marinette practically melted with relief, her tense lips – that had previously been pressed together – melted into a smile. She gave a little bounce and dipped her head in thanks to the camera mounted above the doorbell.

“Thank you!” Marinette chirped, watching as the large gates of the Agreste house swung open in front of her. The moment she started towards the opening gates, all of her previous nerves came rushing back. She almost turned around and ran away again, but Tikki poked her head out of Marinette’s purse.

“Don’t you dare, Marinette! You have to go inside now! You can do this!” The little kwami grinned up at her encouragingly. Marinette smiled and took a deep breath, puffing out her chest.

“You’re right, Tikki. Here I go!” 

The front drive was surprisingly not as long as Marinette had been expecting, her feet carrying her to the grand steps of Adrien’s front door much faster than she had been expecting. As she mounted the stairs, Marinette had to remind herself twice to keep breathing. A severe looking woman stood in the open doorway, watching as the teen climbed as quickly as she could.

“Thank you for bringing Adrien’s work. Please follow me,” the woman said in a monotonous voice. Marinette watched with mild surprise as the lady turned to lead Marinette deeper into the house. Last time she had come by, she hadn’t even made it past the front gate. But she didn’t protest, and trotted quickly after the woman’s brisk gait. 

The interior of the mansion was just as splendid as the outside, and Marinette couldn’t help but gape as she twisted her head in all directions, trying to take everything in at once. It was an impossible task, but she did her best. By the time they got to Adrien’s door though, her neck was sore from all the twisting.

The woman knocked sharply on Adrien’s door and called out, “Adrien, there’s a schoolmate of yours here. She has the work you’ve missed.” The woman turned her head to look down at Marinette while they waited for Adrien to respond.

“Normally we don’t allow visitors, but he hasn’t been to school in two days, so I think seeing a friend would be good for him.” The way she spoke and the odd expression on the woman’s face made Marinette wonder if she was doing this under Mr. Agreste’s instructions or on her own.

Before Marinette could respond, the door swung open and Adrien stood before them, dressed only in a t-shirt and sweats. Marinette tried very hard not to swoon right then and there. Natalie nodded to him and turned to leave.

“Let me know when you wish to leave and I will escort you out,” she said over her shoulder.

“T-Thank you!” Marinette said, turning back to Adrien with surely bright red cheeks. “U-Uhm…I-I brought you the stuff you missed,” she held it out quickly, locking her elbows to try and keep her arms from shaking.

Adrien stared at her for a moment, his usual warm smile nowhere to be found. He eventually reached out and took the papers from her with a soft ‘thank you’ accompanying the motion. Marinette was a little taken aback before remembering that he wasn’t feeling well and that was probably the reason for his demeanor. She clasped her hands nervously behind her back and shifted from foot to foot.

She watched as Adrien walked over to his desk and started to sort through the papers she had given him. Hesitantly, Marinette followed Adrien into his room, looking around the spacious bedroom in awe. The ceiling stretched high above them, making Marinette crane her neck around to see everything just like in the halls. Suddenly remembering her other reason for visiting she looked back down at Adrien quickly. 

“O-Oh! I also came to tell you that the ball for tonight has been moved to tomorrow night. Y-You’re going to that, right?”

Adrien hesitated, his hands stilled where he was putting away the homework papers. His pause made Marinette’s stomach drop. He _had_ to come to the dance! She wanted to be there with him and that obviously couldn’t happen if he didn’t _go_.

“You should come!” Marinette burst out, unable to stop herself. “I-I made Alya’s dress, and I made mine too! I think it would be amazing if you came to the dance and saw them and also had an incredible time.” She put on a smile, hoping it didn’t look too nervous. “And I’m sure you’ll be feeling better by tomorrow night!”

“Marinette,” Adrien’s voice cut across her excited babbling, startling her into silence. He turned to face her, his bright green eyes leveled with Marinette’s round blue ones, and he looked so serious and so…hurt? As confusion swelled in her chest, Adrien continued before she could even ask him what was wrong.

“I know you’re Ladybug.”

His voice was soft, the words said as a statement, but inflicted like an accusation. Marinette forgot how to breathe. She forgot all sense of logical thinking and just stared at Adrien in dumbfounded shock. Her mind began to race with questions. How could he know? How long had he known? Why was he looking at her like that? What did he expect her to say? _Did_ he expect her to saying anything?

“W-What are you-?” Marinette started to stutter out, her speech not even sounding like proper French. Her hand drifted to the pouch at her hip, where Tikki was hiding. She hadn’t been prepared for this and she didn’t know what to do now, but Adrien cut her off yet again.

“Don’t!” His voice was quiet, but it was harsh and quick, like a slap across the face. “Don’t lie to me anymore than you already have.” Adrien’s eyes were like green chips of ice, piercing Marinette’s skin and cutting her open. She felt raw, exposed, and entirely helpless. Her mind flew back to the previous night – the Illusionist and her nightmare come to life. But this – in this moment – this was so much worse.

Without another word, Marinette turned on her heel and dashed from Adrien’s room. She bolted down the hall, past the woman who had let her in, and out into the Parisian streets. She wasn’t thinking anymore, moving entirely on instinct. Marinette needed to get away from here, she was panicking and scared and she felt like screaming.

Ducking into an alleyway, Marinette called on Tikki and moments later swung away into the sky. She just wanted to get as far from home, as far from school, as far from everything as she possibly could.

* * *

 “What on Earth happened?” Natalie came barging into Adrien’s room, finding him sitting on his couch, hunched forward over the papers his classmate had delivered. She hadn’t even had time to call out to the girl before she was running out through the front door. Natalie narrowed her eyes at the young Agreste and waited for an answer.

Adrien didn’t even bother looking up from the papers as he answered, “She had somewhere to be,” and continued with his work.

Frustrated, Natalie huffed and closed the door to Adrien’s room on her way out. She knew that he was lying to her, but there wasn’t much she could do without getting in trouble with her boss.

The moment Natalie shut the door, Plagg came flying over and got right in Adrien’s face. The little black cat looked absolutely livid as they hovered in front of Adrien’s nose. 

“You _idiot_!” Plagg practically shouted, startling Adrien. “Why did you look at her like that? Why did you speak to her like that? Are you really so thick-headed?”

“I don’t see why I owe her anything!” Adrien angrily bit back at Plagg. “As Chat Noir, I gave her everything – my heart, my loyalty, my trust – and look what she did with it! She toyed with my feelings as both Marinette and Ladybug before having the gall to tell me she likes someone else! I don’t owe her shit!”

Plagg dropped onto the sofa cushion as Adrien angrily vacated it in favor of pacing back and forth in front of his television. The little cat watched Adrien with forlorn eyes before shaking their head.

“You really are lucky you’re pretty because you’ve got no common sense.”

“What did you just say to me?” Adrien furiously turned on Plagg, looking like he was about to storm over to his kwami and chuck them. But Plagg continued before Adrien could make a move.

“Marinette – Ladybug – likes _you_ , you big idiot!” At Adrien’s dumbfounded and suspicious expression, Plagg groaned and continued. “Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed how much the girl blushes around you? How much more she smiles when she talks to you and how she went out of her way to drop off your school work, tell you about the dance and _then invited you to go_?”

Plagg was practically howling at this point, the anger and frustration at their host’s actions finally spilling over the normally laidback attitude Plagg had. Adrien’s face, meanwhile, had slowly melted from anger to realization, to horror. The boy dropped to his knees with a groan and buried his head in his hands. Adrien’s slim fingers gripped at his blonde locks and he looked at Plagg in desperation. 

“What have I done? How do I fix this? I was such a _jerk_!”

“Yeah you were,” Plagg scoffed, perching on the arm of the couch in front of Adrien. “You sent Marinette running and on the verge of tears. You need to find a way to make this up to her. And I _might_ have an idea.”

Adrien released the grip he had on his hair and looked at Plagg with suspicion. “Really?” he said skeptically. “ _You’re_ going to help me? What do you want?”

Plagg grinned impishly and chuckled. “The usual, lots of Camembert cheese, of course. But yes, I am going to help you.” 

“Why?”

“Because I’m tired of waiting for you to make a move so I’m forcing you. Do you have any idea how suffocating and annoying it is to watch you be so thick-headed?”

Adrien gave Plagg an annoyed look but moved to sit on the couch, facing his kwami. He sighed heavily and leveled his gaze with the little cat. Usually Plagg was very much hands off in what Adrien did with his life. It was…odd to have the tiny cat almost freely offering to help. 

“Okay, fine, I’ll trust you here,” Adrien said, feeling a little less negative about the situation. Maybe the akuma’s energy that he had absorbed was finally starting to wear off.

“What should I do?” 

* * *

Ladybug swung up onto one of the highest beams of the Eiffel Tower, the sun inching closer and closer to the horizon as she leaned heavily against a large support beam. Her breathing was labored and there were tears rolling down her mask, dripping off the curves of her cheeks as Ladybug hunched forward with a quiet sob. The soft pink flash behind her eyelids let her know that Tikki had de-transformed them. 

“Marinette?” Tikki’s voice asked gently. “Are you alright?” 

Shaking her head violently, Marinette slid down until she was sitting, hugging the support beam beside her. Her legs dangled freely over the edge of the beam in the open air. She had no idea why – of all places – she chose the Tower; the place she and Chat had their regular meet ups.

“D-Did you s-see the look on his face?” Marinette sobbed, looking up at Tikki in distress. “W-Why did h-he look so m-mad? What d-did I do w-wrong?”

Tikki’s face turned sympathetic and they perched on Marinette’s knee, trying to offer some sort of comfort. Though it was hard when Marinette couldn’t stop crying, perpetually wiping away her tears as she sat there. 

Eventually Marinette calmed down enough to take a few deep breaths, looking up at Tikki with red, puffy eyes. At this point, the sun was brushing the horizon, nearly set as it painted the sky with a multitude of color. Tikki gave Marinette a sad smile and shook their head. 

“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know his reasons. Maybe…maybe he will explain himself soon?” Tikki offered helpfully. They hated seeing Marinette like this, and wished that there were more they could do to help. Floating up to their host’s face, Tikki nuzzled against Marinette’s cheek. The girl was staring forlornly out over the city, barely acknowledging her kwami’s efforts to comfort her. Tikki gave a tight sigh and tried to get through to Marinette.

“For now, maybe we should get you home. I’m sure your parents are getting worried at this point. Besides you still have-”

“Tikki!” Marinette shouted suddenly, scrambling to her feet. The little kwami almost had a heart attack when the girl wobbled on the narrow beam. Once Marinette was steadied, the kwami darted in front of her face and sternly began to lecture Marinette. 

“Be careful, Marinette! What if you had fallen? You aren’t transformed and we’re hundreds of feet in the air! What’s gotten into you?”

Marinette wasn’t even looking at Tikki, her large blue eyes focused on something out over the city. She pointed urgently and gestured to the little kwami.

“Over there! Look at it!”

“I don’t see anything?” Tikki said in a concerned voice, scanning the area that Marinette was frantically pointing to. 

“Look closer! It’s right over there!” 

“What is?”

“A butterfly!”

The look Marinette got from her kwami was one of utter disbelief and confusion. It would have been an amusing expression to Marinette if she hadn’t just put two and two together. She practically kicked herself for not figuring this out sooner. 

“No, no, hear me out! A butterfly…that’s what the akuma are too, right? Wait a minute, that’s not an akuma is it? No…no it’s not okay we’re good. Anyway!” Tikki’s exasperated expression reminded Marinette to stay on topic. “That’s what Hetepheres’ miraculous was, too! So if the akuma from HawkMoth are also butterflies, wouldn’t that means that Psyche is HawkMoth’s kwami?”

Marinette was practically bouncing up and down, her feet trotting back and forth in place and causing her whole body to wiggle with excitement. She beamed at Tikki eagerly, hoping that her kwami could confirm she had figured it out. Remembering the rules that Tikki had told her about, Marinette knew that she could only get a yes or no answer from the little bug. When she was met with silence, Marinette bit her lip and deflated a little. 

“Am I wrong?” she asked softly, so sure that she had been right. But Tikki squeaked with excitement and flew around Marinette’s head before stopping to nuzzle her cheek. Marinette reached up and cupped Tikki in her hands, drawing the kwami away from her face so she could look at them.

“You finally figured it out!” Tikki said happily.

* * *

Chat Noir went flying from the window of the Agreste mansion, a black streak across the tie-dye sky of early evening. He alit on the rooftops of the building across the street and paused to scan the sidewalks below. Marinette had about a ten minute head start, so she could honestly be anywhere in Paris before he found her. 

Deciding that he needed a better vantage point, Chat Noir turned his sights to the Eiffel Tower. It may not give him the ability to see Marinette, but it would clear his head and let him take in the city spread. Maybe it would give him a better idea of where she may have gone.

He felt horrible for the way he had treated her as Adrien. She hadn’t deserved that. And once Plagg had talked some sense into him, he finally realized that none of this could have been easy for Marinette either.

She had been torn between her feelings for Chat Noir and Adrien, without realizing they were the same person. Meanwhile, he had figured out that Marinette was Ladybug and had only felt angry. He had felt betrayed without knowing that her “mysterious crush” had been him – but now he felt guilt and elation simultaneously.

Stopping suddenly on the roofs below the Tower, Chat Noir looked up, seeing something – or someone – perched up high. Knowing only one other person who could possibly be up there, he felt a weight settle in his stomach before he launched himself upward.

* * *

Marinette quickly snapped her little bag shut, safely concealing Tikki, as Chat Noir alit on the beam near her. She had seen him coming and insisted her kwami hide. His cat ears twitched slightly – she still had no idea how that worked – as he walked towards her, concern written all over his face.

“Chat Noir!” Marinette said with mild surprise in her voice. “What are you doing up here? It’s…it’s been a few days since I’ve seen you.” Guilt pierced her chest as she remembered the last time she had seen him, the last time she had spoken to him. Her fingers started nervously picking at each other as she ducked her head with shame.

“Hey, I’m sorry for what I said before. It was mean, and I was just confused and upset. T-That doesn’t make it right, of course! But I just wanted you to know that I feel awful and I hope that you can forgive me.” Everything came spilling out of Marinette, her emotions that had been pent up for the past few days overflowing as she pleaded with Chat to forgive her.

Chat came forward slowly, his hands outstretched in a placating gesture. “Easy, Princess,” he said softly. “What are you doing up here? It’s dangerous and I’m worried about you.” His eyes flit over her, alight with such deep concern that it almost confused Marinette.

Suddenly understanding how he must have perceived the situation, Marinette shook her head and gripped the support beam tightly to reassure him. “Oh, no, no, no! I’m okay, I promise. I just came up here to think.” She hesitated and dropped her gaze to where her hands rested against the cool metal.

“Although, I was just told something…by someone important to me and I got scared and confused and ran out on them.” Marinette caught her lower lip between her teeth and shook her head. “I don’t know why I ran, but I panicked because he looked so _mad_ at me. I-I didn’t mean to upset him. I didn’t even know…that I had done something wrong.”

Marinette hesitated, not sure that she wanted to share this with Chat, but she was so close to tears, and Chat was here for her. After everything that she had done to him, he was still here for her.

“I love him,” Marinette said softly, but her voice was loud enough to carry to Chat.

When she looked up at Chat, she was startled to see him grinning at her. Feeling offended, she backed away a little, pressing herself against the beam and narrowing her eyes. She wasn’t sure why he looked that way, or what she had said that might be _amusing_ to her partner. But Chat Noir looked positively giddy as he took a little step towards her. Before she could even ask what he was grinning at, Chat’s next question took her breath away.

“You love me?” 

Marinette’s face flushed violently, her cheeks surely as pink as her handbag as she spluttered out a protest. This dumb cat had once again taken her by surprise.

“What?” she managed to get out. “I never said I was talking to you! I just said I was with the person I care about and I’ve just now seen you! God, Chat! I’m trying to be serious here!”

Marinette was practically screeching at this point, and she really didn’t like that she was yelling at Chat again. But it was his fault he was so…like this. And for some reason, Chat’s grin wasn’t fading and – oh god was he _blushing?_

“Marinette,” Chat’s voice was soft as he smiled broadly at her. Listening to him, to his soft cadence as he spoke, there was something achingly familiar about it. In fact it felt so familiar that she wondered why she hadn't noticed the feeling before. She watched him quizzically as he took another step forward.

“I have something to tell you,” he continued in that soft voice, luminescent green eyes never leaving her face. His hands moved towards each other, and her gaze was so fixated on his face that she didn’t register what he was doing until it had already happened. 

Chat Noir held his ring up near his mouth and quietly said, “Plagg, come on out, bud,” before there was a brilliant flash of green. The sudden burst of light made Marinette shield her eyes, one hand thrown up as she screwed her eyes tightly shut.

“I love you, too, Marinette,” Chat Noir’s voice said, coaxing her to lower her hand and open her eyes. A rush of shock coursed through Marinette’s body, as she found none other than Adrien Agreste standing in front of her. There was a little black cat perched on the slope of Adrien’s shoulder, grinning at her cheekily.

She was completely silent for about three whole seconds before gracefully descending into a spluttering, confused mess. Whether or not anything that came out of her mouth was actually French, she’ll never know. But when she finally calmed down, the only thing she could manage to coherently say was, “What?”

Adrien laughed, the noise a blessing on Marinette’s ears. After not seeing him for two straight days, and then finding him in such an angry, bitter mood, it was good to hear him laughing. Even if she had no idea what was going on.

Sitting down, Adrien gestured for Marinette to do the same. She hesitantly slid down so she was leaning with her back against the support beam she had been clinging to. The scene felt so familiar from patrol nights that she had to choke back a squeak. _She had sat like this with Adrien Agreste for months and not known._

“I’m sorry,” Adrien’s voice drew her back from the brink of hysteria. Giving him a confused look, she shook her head. 

“Why are you sorry? I’m the one who yelled at you when you were Chat Noir. And now that I know who you are, I can see how confusing and upsetting what I said must have been to you.” 

_This is weird._

Adrien shook his head and gave her a soft smile, the corner of his mouth tugging up higher on one side. Marinette had seen that smile many times before in class, and she loved that smile. And now she could see Chat Noir in that smile. It was disorienting to finally see both sides of her two friends…as one person.

“I’m the one who treated you so coldly, without any real reason to have done so. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He gave a soft, slightly bitter laugh as he twisted the silver ring around his finger.

“I guess we were both really bad a communication.” 

_This is really weird._

Marinette gave a quiet laugh, watching Adrien intently. There was something so deeply buried inside this boy that she now felt she understood. The Chat Noir inside Adrien Agreste that had been there this whole time. Somehow it was disorienting and yet made so much sense all at once.

“Maybe we should have told each other who we were after that first mission,” Marinette said softly. “It could have made things so much easier in the end. For example we wouldn’t have had to go through…whatever this whole ordeal has been.”

Adrien laughed again, making Marinette’s smile spread a little wider. He nodded and looked out over the city spread below them.

“We’ll never know, I guess. But for now,” Adrien pushed himself to his feet and gave her a mock little bow, extending one hand down toward Marinette.

“Would you like to go out on a date with me, My Lady? We can have a real conversation, as our real, whole selves for once.” He smiled at her charmingly, pulling some of Chat Noir into his grin. But his sparkling irises were all Adrien.

Feeling like she was on Cloud Nine, Marinette giggled and took hold of Adrien’s hand, relishing the way his warm, nimble fingers curled around hers. He pulled Marinette to her feet and then looked around with an amused face.

“So, how are we getting down from here?”

* * *

In the end, their “date” wound up taking them back to Marinette’s house. They swiped some treats from the bakery and tried to sneak upstairs, but they didn’t get there before Marinette’s parents intercepted them with giddy smiles.

“Adrien!” Marinette’s mother said happily. She took hold of his slender shoulders and kissed his cheek warmly. “How are you? It’s been a while since you’ve dropped by.”

Marinette was internally screaming, praying nothing embarrassing came out of her parents’ mouths before they could escape. But Adrien was all smiles, even if he did look a little surprised at being greeted so warmly.

“I’m doing well, Madame,” he responded kindly, returning the smile. “Marinette and I were just going to hang out upstairs, but I wouldn’t want to get in the way if your family has plans.” 

“Oh, not at all my boy!” Marinette’s papa came strolling over from the kitchen, wiping his floury hands on his apron. “You’re always welcome here.”

Adrien beamed at Marinette’s parents as she took hold of her friend’s elbow. “Yes, well,” she said pointedly. “I’m sure you two have a lot of baking to do. We will just be heading upstairs now.” As she ushered Adrien towards the stairs, she gave her parents a pointed look, to which they just grinned encouragingly back at her.

Once they were settled upstairs in Marinette’s room, she felt much more relaxed. She loved her parents, but they could be overwhelming to new friends in the house. Maybe if Adrien stayed for dinner, it would be easier to properly introduce him to her parents.

“So, I don’t mean to kill the mood,” Adrien began, picking apart one of his cookies. “But I feel like we haven’t really addressed the Hetepheres situation in a while. And call me crazy, but I have this nagging feeling that it’s going to become very important, very soon.”

Nodding, Marinette set aside her little plate of treats and went to fetch the book she had taken from the library. It had only been a couple days since she had obtained this book, but with everything that had happened, it felt like ages. “I’ve been having the same feeling,” she agreed, tugging the book out from a little pile. She sat down beside Adrien and flipped through the pages.

“Actually, right before you showed up on the Tower, I was talking with Tikki and I finally figured something out.” Tikki and Plagg were sitting on Marinette’s desk, munching happily on their respective snacks as their hosts talked. Looking excitedly at Adrien, she pointed to a picture of some artifacts associated with Hetepheres.

“She had bracelets with butterfly charms on them, and we know from Psyche that Hetepheres had a kwami while she was in power. But one of the bracelets here is missing a charm, and guess who we know who has a kwami and butterflies that do his bidding?”

Adrien’s eyes widened as he whispered, “HawkMoth.”

“Exactly! I think that he somehow got a hold of Psyche’s miraculous and is now controlling it. That’s why Psyche sent out that distress call through our dreams. That poor little kwami has been suffering for millennia because of what happened with Hetepheres.”

“Wait,” Adrien looked at her, puzzled. “I missed that part. What happened with Hetepheres?”

“I’m not sure of the finer details, but from what Psyche told Tikki, it sounds like there is some sort of hierarchy among the kwami. And when Psyche chose Hetepheres, a queen of Egypt, it somehow broke the hierarchy and now poor Psyche is suffering for that.” Glancing at her kwami, Marinette continued in a softer voice. “It also sounds like after Hetepheres died, Psyche went missing and then the other kwami started to drop off the grid as well. I think Plagg and Tikki are the only ones who stayed active throughout history.”

“Until now,” Adrien murmured. “It kind of makes you wonder how many kwami there are.”

“There’s something else,” Marinette said, glancing once again at their kwamis. “Psyche kept referring to Tikki and Plagg as Scarab and Mau. I think they’re ancient names or something because I’ve never heard Tikki refer to those names.”

Adrien nodded in agreement. “Plagg hasn’t mentioned them either. Maybe they just kept changing their names over the centuries depending on where they were. I still trust Plagg, even if I never knew about this.”

“I don’t trust Tikki any less,” Marinette agreed. “But now that we know their other names, it might be easier to find references to them throughout history. I’ve looked before but never found mention of Tikki or Plagg. Scarab and Mau, though…we might have more luck.”

“True,” Adrien agreed with a smile. “But maybe that should wait until after we’ve dealt with this situation. I’ve got a bad feeling that something big is coming.”

The two teens fell silent, sitting comfortably for a moment before Adrien got a weird look on his face. Marinette, who had been sneaking a glance at him, noticed the look and questioned Adrien.

“It’s just…tell me I’m not crazy, but this is just weird, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“You and I, just sitting here talking about all this ancient, magical stuff like we’ve known each other’s secret identities the whole time. I guess I didn’t expect it to be this…easy?”

Marinette chuckled and lightly whacked Adrien’s arm. “Don’t jinx it,” she joked, before getting a more serious look on her face. “But I know what you mean. I guess finding out that the boy I’ve had a crush on for months is also one of my best friends just makes things feel sort of neutral? Comfortable?”

Looking up, Marinette was surprised to find Adrien staring at her, his cheeks pink as his lips pulled into a small, shy looking smile. Feeling her own cheeks flush, Marinette quickly tried to figure out what it was she said that put that look on his face. 

“Oh,” she said quickly, realizing she had just confessed that she had a crush on Adrien. “Oh my god, wait no I – oh gosh this isn’t how I wanted to – wait can I start over?” Marinette had quickly descended into a babbling, blushing mess, much to Adrien’s apparent amusement.

“This isn’t fair!” Marinette whined, burying her face in her hands. “That was not how I wanted to confess to you!”

Adrien continued to laugh softly, trying to cover it up behind his hand. His cheeks continued to darken with a pinkish hue the longer he tried to hide his laughter. Trying to comfort Marinette, who had passed pink and was now bright red, he placed a comforting hand on one of her shoulders.

“M-Marinette, it’s o-okay,” he chuckled, struggling to maintain some sort of composure. “I-I sort of have a c-crush on you too.”

That sent Marinette entirely over the edge and she wondered if she was going to pass out soon. The heat in her cheeks was approaching unbearable.

“S-S-Seriously?” she somehow managed to stammer out. Watching as Adrien rubbed at his neck bashfully and nodded, Marinette squeaked unwittingly. This brought a bigger smile to Adrien’s lips, mirth dancing in his eyes.

“And hey…” he started somewhat awkwardly. “I never really gave you an answer earlier, but yes. I will be going to the ball tomorrow.”

Marinette had started to somehow regain some of her composure and dignity, and his comment just made her excited. Giving a little bounce, she reached out instinctively and grabbed Adrien’s hand.

“That’s great! It’s going to be so much fun!”

“You said you made your dress, right? I’m assuming you won’t let me see it until tomorrow?”

Shaking her head with a grin, Marinette pressed her lips into a line. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth even as she did. The dress she had made for herself had taken more time and dedication than Alya’s had, but it had finally been finished earlier that morning.

“No peeks,” she said absolutely. “You’ll just have to find me tomorrow night.”

Raising an eyebrow, Adrien’s eyes took on a playful glow. “Is that a challenge, my Lady?”

Flushing yet again, Marinette forced herself to remain composed. “Perhaps.”

“Challenge accepted, then,” Adrien smirked.

There was a soft knock on Marinette’s door, her mother poking her head into the room and smiling at them. “Adrien, dear, it’s getting late. Do you need to be home soon or would you like to spend the night?”

“Oh, that’s very nice of you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng,” Adrien said. “But I don’t have anything with me.”

“That’s alright,” Marinette’s father popped up beside her mother. “We have some things you can borrow for the evening if you would like.”

Watching as Adrien blinked in surprise, Marinette felt a little tug in her chest. It almost looked like the blond was surprised at the mere invitation of spending the night. She wondered if he had even had the semblance of a normal childhood.

“I-I should call Natalie and see if it’s alright,” Adrien finally managed to get out around his surprise. As he reached for his phone, Marinette’s parents retreated back downstairs.

Twenty minutes later, Adrien had gotten his father’s approval through Natalie to spend the night. After reassuring his father that, yes, he had finished his homework and no, he did not need Natalie to drop anything off, they were good to go. Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng had gathered up some toiletries and a worn t-shirt with a pair sweats for their guest. Adrien thanked them whole-heartedly, to which Marinette’s parents seemed to melt over his genuine gratitude. She knew because five minutes later they were shoving a plate of macaroons at the two teens.

“It seems like my parents have taken a liking to you,” Marinette chuckled, pulling apart one of the sweet cookies to get to the filling. She and Adrien were curled up on opposite sides of the plate, burrowed into the couch in the living room. Her parents had retreated to their room for the evening, leaving Marinette and Adrien to their own devices in the living area. Tikki and Plagg had remained upstairs in Marinette’s room, already having nodded off on Marinette’s pillow, exhausted from the day’s transformations.

“It would seem so,” Adrien said softly, a little smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. He was practically drowning in one of Marinette’s father’s old t-shirts, but he looked content as he munched on his macaroon.

The television cast a pale, flickering glow over them in the darkened room; the sound a soft background noise to their conversation. Marinette had fetched Nuit from her room earlier, and the little kitten had curled himself up in Adrien’s lap. The little ball of fur was now purring contentedly as one of Adrien’s hands absently stroked over the dark fur. Everything just felt so peaceful, and Marinette couldn’t help but smile to herself as she reached for another cookie.

“I feel like we’re on the verge of something big here,” Adrien suddenly spoke up, his voice soft as it reached Marinette’s ears. But she could hear the underlying tone of worry, poking holes in her serene illusion.

“What do you mean?” 

“Well,” Adrien looked away from the television, his green eyes cast in a kaleidoscope of colors from the glow of the screen as he met Marinette’s gaze. “We’ve figured out what we need to know, and things seem so tranquil right now. There’s no way this can last. And like I said earlier…I just have this _feeling_.”

Nodding as she nibbled at her cookie, Marinette let out a sigh through her nose. “I know what you mean. Everything just feels too good to be true.” Pausing, she looked down at Nuit and reached over to scratch behind the kitten’s ears. “But I think we should just enjoy this while we can. If it’s not going to last forever, then we should make the most of this. We don’t know what could happen.”

Adrien fondly watched her for a moment as Marinette finished off her cookie. His fingers continued to comb through Nuit's fur as a smile pulled at his lips.

“I agree,” he finally said. “I’m just saying we should be ready for hell.”

Marinette turned her gaze back to Adrien’s; meeting his eyes sent a shiver run down her spine. There was something in his eyes that made her think his ‘feeling’ was far worse than he was letting on. But she didn’t question him, didn’t want to push him.

Or at least that’s what she told herself.

If she was being honest, Marinette didn’t want to entirely shatter this serenity they had somehow created in the midst of all the confusion and danger that plagued their everyday lives. It was so rare these days that Marinette ever felt like a normal person, and she wanted to cling to this moment in time with both hands and never let go.

Shifting, Marinette placed the half eaten plate of macaroons on the table by the sofa. Once it was out of the way, she moved herself to where it had been sitting and leaned her weight gingerly against Adrien’s side. It was mildly surprising to feel how lean and bony he was underneath her father’s shirt; but he was warm and sturdy and radiated a sense of security.

Adrien didn’t react at first, in fact he had tensed slightly at the sudden presence of Marinette’s weight, almost discouraging her from continuing to stay there. But a moment later, Adrien’s arm shifted and then it was wrapped around Marinette’s shoulders, drawing her in even closer to his body heat. Nuit remained on Adrien’s lap, the kitten’s purring having ceased with the onslaught of sleep. 

They stayed in that position for what felt like hours to Marinette. Sleep made her eyelids flutter lethargically more and more with each passing moment, a true feeling of content washing over Marinette. At some point, Adrien’s sleepy murmur cut through the haze enough to reach Marinette. 

“Marinette?”

“Hm?” she hummed sleepily.

“When you asked if I was going to the dance,” Adrien yawned softly. “Were you asking to go with me, too? As my date?”

“I guess I was,” Marinette confessed, voice heavy with exhaustion. “Why?”

Adrien’s response was still soft; still the murmur of someone about to fall to unconsciousness, but the smile in his tone was clear as day.

“I guess I’ll meet you there then, my Lady.”


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette was the first to wake up the following morning, her eyes feeling heavy and sticky with sleep as she tried to pull herself from unconsciousness. Her bed seemed a little more cramped than usual; and before Marinette was even fully awake, she wondered how on earth her blankets could feel so warm. Yawning, she started to push at them, attempting to free herself. When the blankets tightened in response, she very quickly woke up entirely.

Blinking, Marinette turned her head against her pillow – not her pillow, someone’s shoulder – and found the peaceful, sleeping face of Adrien Agreste right next to her. And the stubborn blankets had actually been Adrien’s arms around her. The blanket was in fact draped across their stomachs, covering their entangled legs beneath it.

Heating up in record time, Marinette squeaked quietly and tried not to wake Adrien up.

Before she could spontaneously combust however, there was a soft yet insistent mewl from the floor. With her back to the edge of the sofa, Marinette craned her neck around to find Nuit staring up at her with his big, luminescent eyes. Mewling again, Nuit seemed to be telling Marinette that he was very hungry and needed attention. How Marinette had ended up with so many insistent cats in her life, she had no idea.

Heaving out a sigh, Marinette somehow managed to disentangle herself from Adrien without waking him up. His nose scrunched up in displeasure at the absence of Marinette’s warmth beside him. Reaching over, Marinette carefully pushed a pillow into Adrien’s arms, and watched with amusement as he immediately curled around it. With one of her kitties handled, Marinette turned to Nuit and stooped down to pick up the little fur ball.

“How about some breakfast?” she asked softly, smiling when Nuit mewled in agreement.

Wandering into the kitchen area, down the short hallway from the living room where Adrien was sleeping, Marinette’s eyes immediately went to a piece of paper lying on the countertop. She placed Nuit on the floor to scoop up the note, eyes perusing over it.

“Looks like Mama and Papa went out for the day,” Marinette said, smiling down at Nuit. The little kitten was still staring imploringly at Marinette, waiting to be given his meal.

“They needed a day off since the bakery’s been so busy lately,” Marinette continued as she went to the pantry to fetch Nuit’s food. “I hope they enjoy themselves.”

Nuit murped in agreement as Marinette poured the cat food into his bowl. Running her hand over the kitten’s back as he stepped up to the bowl, Marinette smiled fondly at Nuit. Shoving to her feet, Marinette looked up sharply at the sound of someone knocking on the front door.

 _Who would be at our door on a Saturday morning?_ Marinette wondered. _Especially when the bakery is closed…_

Using caution, Marinette made her way back to the living room, finding Adrien sitting up sleepily. His blonde hair was mussed and sticking up in random places, the t-shirt he had borrowed starting to slide off one shoulder. Looking half asleep, confused, and entirely adorable, Marinette felt her knees go weak. She would have swooned on the spot if whoever was at the door hadn’t knocked again.

“Coming!” Marinette called, glancing at Adrien one last time before making her way to answer the door.

Pulling open the front door, Marinette froze immediately, staring at their guest in shock. This was the absolute last person she had expected to open the door to.

“Master Fu?” Marinette asked in complete bewilderment. “What are you doing here?”

Master Fu looked up at Marinette warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiled at her. Marinette could hear Adrien standing up from the couch, the blanket rustling as he stood and moved toward the door. She wondered briefly if Adrien had ever met Master Fu before. Would he know who this man was to them as Miraculous wielders?

“Marinette?” Adrien’s sleepy voice came from her shoulder. Suddenly he was leaning his chin against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her waist. The weight against her back was warm, the blanket Adrien had brought with him falling around her a bit. Feeling flush, Marinette’s hands instinctively grabbed onto Adrien’s slender wrist. When had this become something they did?

“A-Adrien,” Marinette managed to get out. “Have you met Master Fu before?” Her fingers tightened their grip around his wrist slightly.

“Chat Noir,” Master Fu greeted, his old voice croaking fondly as he nodded to Adrien. Marinette felt Adrien’s hold around her waist tighten the second he realized Master Fu had referred to him as his superhero alias.

“How-?” Adrien started to ask, sounding scared.

“Adrien, this is Master Fu,” Marinette cut in quickly, trying to reassure him. “He’s the one who gave us our Miraculous.”

“Wait a minute…” Adrien said softly. “I helped you outside the school one time. Way back at the beginning of the academic year! Why didn’t you say anything then?”

Before Master Fu could answer, there was a small commotion from behind them. Marinette and Adrien twisted simultaneously to see Tikki and Plagg zooming over to them, squeaking happily as they did. Tikki immediately curled up on Master Fu’s shoulder, smiling largely. Plagg settled for hovering near Master Fu, nodding respectfully to the old man.

“Mau, Scarab, it’s good to see you two again,” Master Fu chuckled. “Chelonia, come on out and greet your brethren.”

A small turtle creature zipped out from behind Master Fu, excitedly greeting Tikki and Plagg as the kwami all began chatting quietly. Marinette had remembered the small turtle being referred to as Wayzz the last time she had met Master Fu. But she assumed that like Tikki and Plagg, Wayzz had an ancient name they were known by as well.

“Wait…what?” Adrien’s strangled voice sounded at Marinette’s ear, reminding her that he had no idea what was going on.

“Maybe you should come inside, Master Fu. We probably have a lot to talk about since we last met up.”

Turning suddenly serious, Master Fu nodded his head gravely. “That we do, Marinette. Things have changed since I last spoke to you. And I’m glad that you have Chat Noir here. You two have grown closer since last time as well.”

“M-Master Fu,” Marinette protested softly as the old man walked past her and Adrien into Marinette’s home. She shifted, gently removing herself from Adrien’s hold so she could shut the door. Adrien gave her a bewildered look, to which she just shrugged, before they followed Master Fu deeper into the house.

“Are your parents home, Marinette? You haven’t told anyone about your powers, right?”

Marinette sat down on the sofa with Adrien as Master Fu settled himself into a chair facing the two teens. He rubbed a hand over his chin as his eyes wandered around the living room.

“No, they’re out for the afternoon. Adrien and I haven’t said anything about our powers to anyone besides each other.”

“Good,” Master Fu hummed, clearly deep in thought. His gaze wandered around the little house before finding it’s way back to the two anxious teenagers sitting before him. “I fear that there is danger approaching. I can sense something sinister on the horizon, and I want to make sure you two are prepared.”

The old man rubbed at his knuckles, talking like he could feel the danger the way the elderly said they could feel a storm. Before Marinette could ask what he meant by ‘something sinister’, Master Fu turned slightly towards where the kwami were still hovering and talking softly.

“Scarab! Would you come over here, please?”

Tikki zipped over, settling comfortably on the arm of Master Fu’s seat. The little bug kwami looked up at the ancient man before seeming to take some unspoken cue.

“Adrien, Marinette,” Tikki began seriously. “Plagg and I have been leading the both of you, dropping hints, about Hetepheres because of the connection you finally made between the ancient queen of Egypt and our problem today. What we’ve failed to share with you, per Master Fu’s orders, is that Psyche is one of us.”

“What do you mean?” Adrien asked, finally speaking up. When Master Fu had begun speaking to them about the approaching danger, he had grabbed onto Marinette’s hand and had not let go yet. She took comfort in holding Adrien’s hand, as it reminded Marinette that she was not alone.

“Psyche’s modern name is Noroo, and they were once wielded as a Miraculous for the forces of light and goodness. But after what happened with Hetepheres, the gods placed a curse upon Noroo’s Miraculous and all the wielders that would follow the late queen. Hetepheres was not supposed to wield Noroo’s powers – it went against the hierarchy that was in place at the time. Fearful that they would bring great harm to whoever came to wield them, Noroo fled and vanished.

“As time went on, the other kwami began to take wielders less and less frequently. Three of the kwami completely disappeared from history at one point. Master Fu eventually took Wayzz as a kwami, and managed to track down two of the missing three. However, Noroo and one other kwami were still missing, and Plagg and I were ordered to remove ourselves from history in case we vanished as well. That is, until Master Fu gave us to you two.”

There was total silence in Marinette’s house for a few, long moments. Adrien was the first to speak.

“Why…why are you telling us this now?”

“Because of the coming danger,” Master Fu repeated.

“Hawk Moth?” Adrien asked softly.

“Yes. You’ve already discovered that he wields Noroo’s power in a perverted form, using the abilities for evil, malcontented purposes. But despite what he may make you two think, do not lose sight of his true goals.”

“He wants to rule Paris with the combined power of our Miraculous, right?” Marinette asked, her voice sounding small and betraying her fear.

“No,” Tikki shook their head, looking sad. “Hawk Moth knows that with the combined power of the Scarab and Mau, he will have the ability to bring his greatest wish to fruition.”

“What are you talking about?” Adrien asked quickly, leaning forward with wide eyes.

“When one person wields the Miraculous of Scarab and Mau at once, they wield a power that – roughly translated from ancient language – is known as the Harmonic Convergence. It is a simultaneous use of both your powers of creation and destruction. However, because of its drastic effects, the Harmonic Convergence power can only be used once per generation of wielders.”

“So…what would that mean for us?” Marinette asked in a timid voice. “If Hawk Moth did manage to get his hands on our Miraculous, what could happen to us?”

“The amount of power that the Harmonic Convergence requires is greater than the stores of energy your kwami use to give you your Lucky Charm and Cataclysm,” Master Fu said, his voice grave. “The energy would then be taken from you as hosts. And if Hawk Moth’s use of the Convergence is too destructive to events that have already occurred, it could end up destroying the two of you.”

“What?” Adrien breathed out in shock. Marinette couldn’t speak, her free hand coming up to cover her mouth as she leaned forward, wide eyes staring at the floor. She felt like she was going to be sick. This couldn’t be happening.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” Master Fu said gently, his expression still dark. “But as long as you two are in possession of your Miraculous, you have nothing to worry about. However, it is better that you know what could happen if you did lose them. Do not be careless in your battles. Once the Harmonic Convergence power is used, it cannot be undone.”

Marinette shook her head, still staring at the floor. She let go of Adrien’s hand and stood up, Adrien and Master Fu looking at her curiously. This was not happening. She would not let this ruin her evening – or her life. She was still a kid, and she was not going to let this hang over her.

“Master Fu,” Marinette said solemnly. “Thank you for letting us know the consequences of losing our Miraculous to Hawk Moth. But Adrien and I are going to be attending the masquerade ball for our school tonight. I’ve worked very hard on my dress, as well as my friend’s dress. We are going to have a good time, and whatever danger you sense coming, it can wait. I’m not missing this dance."

Master Fu studied Marinette for a long moment, his ancient eyes seeming to peer at her soul. Marinette hoped he could see it burning in her eyes, because she was not backing down from the fight. She was standing her ground and allowing herself to experience a fun-filled night that was rightfully hers.

Smiling, the old man shifted and stood up creakily from the living room chair. He grabbed his cane and started walking leisurely toward the door, calling Wayzz to him. Marinette – and after a moment of hesitation, Adrien – followed him to the exit.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Master Fu said, turning back to look at the girl with an amused sparkle in his old eyes. “You are a fascinating young woman, and I stand by my choice in gifting you the Miraculous. Have fun tonight at your ball. You both deserve a night off.”

“Thank you, Master Fu,” Marinette returned his smile and gave a respectful bow to the old man.

“I will contact you if I sense any changes,” he promised, nodding to both Marinette and Adrien.

When the door shut, Marinette turned to walk back into the house, only to be scooped into Adrien’s embrace. His nose buried in the curve of her shoulder, making Marinette shiver slightly.

“So we’re definitely going together right?” Adrien mumbled against Marinette’s skin. Not trusting her voice to work properly, Marinette simply nodded against the side of Adrien’s head as she returned his hug.

“Okay, good. Because I need to let Natalie know that I still need that suit for tonight. Otherwise I’ll be tempted to make an appearance as Chat Noir.”

“Oh my god, Adrien.”

* * *

“Seriously?” Alya shouted, practically falling out of Marinette’s bathroom. Her eyes were glittering with excitement as she squealed and grabbed Marinette’s hands, bouncing up and down with unbridled excitement.

“You did it, girl!” Alya squealed. “I’m so proud of you! Wait, tell me you’re sticking to traditional masquerade custom right?”

At Marinette’s confused look, Alya leveled a disbelieving stare at her best friend before exasperatedly explaining. “You don’t show up with your date or meet them outside. You have to make a grand entrance and then find them in the room full of masks.” Alya swept around dramatically as she dreamily explained the custom to Marinette. “It’s more fun that way! That’s what I’m doing with Nino!”

“Well, I mean I’m meeting Adrien there. So I guess we’re unintentionally doing that?” Marinette laughed and shrugged, moving into the bathroom Alya had just vacated. They had a few hours before they needed to be at the Jardin so Marinette had invited Alya over for some much needed ‘girl time’ to get ready for the ball. So far, they had been productive in doing each other’s hair and eating lots of macaroons.

“Get in here, Alya. If we don’t start on each other’s make up now, we’ll never make it in time.”

“Girl, please. Don’t you know being fashionably late to a ball is the oldest new trend?” Alya scoffed at Marinette playfully while walking into the little bathroom.

“I finally got a date with Adrien Agreste, Alya,” Marinette turned on her friend, pointing the fluffy end of a make up brush in Alya’s direction. “I am not going to miss a moment of it.”

Laughing, Alya held up her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, you make a fair point. Just don’t shoot.”

Sighing, Marinette lowered the brush and leaned back heavily against the counter. “I’m sorry, Alya. It’s just, there’s been so much going on lately that…I don’t know. Going to this ball just feels so _normal_. And so help me I need a bit of normal right now.”

There was a moment’s pause before Alya stepped forward to drop her hand on Marinette’s shoulder. She offered her friend a slightly concerned smile and squeezed. “I have no idea what you’re on about all this needing to feel normal, but I think that tonight is going to be a night you’ll never forget, girl. And after all the work you put into your dress, you deserve it.”

Marinette smiled gratefully at Alya before she scooped up the make-up palettes and started to work on Alya’s look. After a couple minutes of primping, they switched places until they were both satisfied with the other’s work.

“Okay, now I don’t care what you say. I’m going to be the first one to see you in this damn dress, Marinette. Go get changed and then come downstairs and show it off. I’ll change in the bathroom.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Marinette laughed, feeling giddy and eager to show off her work to Alya. She had to admit that it had been harder than anticipated to not brag and show off her dress while it had been in progress. But now that it was ready, she was more than ready to flaunt the design.

A few minutes later, Alya all but screamed when Marinette came down the stairs. Laughing at the exact reaction she had predicted from her friend, Marinette braced herself to be tackled.

“How the hell did you make that?” Alya shouted in excitement, holding Marinette at arms length, inspecting the gown with sheer awe. She started circling around Marinette, reverently reaching out and stroking the skirt and feeling the decorations on the bodice.

“Lots of patience,” Marinette said wearily, remembering the hours she had spent hunched over and slaving away at the hand-sewn bodice. “And way too many sleepless nights.”

“Well, now you get to show off all that hard work, girl,” Alya squeezed Marinette into another hug, beaming at her friend’s shoulder. Pulling back, Alya squeaked with excitement and bustled off to get their masks. Marinette chuckled, following Alya over to her desk.

“Your parents are still going to drive us there, right? I for one, am not taking the metro in this gorgeous piece of work; and I refuse to let you do that either. As much fun as it would be to have people gawking at us, it’s not worth getting the dresses ruined.”

Laughing, Marinette took her mask from Alya and held up her hands in a calming gesture. “Yes, Alya, my parents are still driving us to the Jardin. You don’t have to worry about taking public transportation in that lovely dress.”

“Great!” Alya chirped, putting her mask on happily. “Then let’s get going!”

* * *

Marinette’s heart was pounding wildly in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she looked up at the tall building looming in front of her. She had never been this nervous before, and she desperately wished that Adrien were with her now. He always offered her comfort when she felt this scrambled and frightened, as both Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste. But she had to face this alone, and find him later.

“Girl,” Alya said, dropping a hand onto Marinette’s shoulder. “Why do you look like you’re about to throw up?”

“I don’t know,” Marinette confessed in a small voice. She fidgeted with her dress, shifting in the heels her mother had loaned her for the evening. The only thing that felt anywhere near familiar to her was the mask resting securely on her face.

“You’ll be fine, girl,” Alya said lightly, beaming at Marinette. “Now come on! You said you weren’t going to waste a moment of this night you get to spend with Adrien. If you keep standing here, you’re going to keep wasting time!”

Marinette knew that Alya was right so she steeled her resolve and trotted up the stairs with Alya tugging at her hand the whole way up. Even from outside, the waltzing music could be heard echoing through the tall hallways of the main building, enticing the students who were all filing in to come and enjoy the evening. The sweet aroma of the multitude of flowers in the large garden filled the air, giving a pleasant feeling to the atmosphere as Marinette released the fabric of her skirt after climbing the stairs.

There was a grand archway that opened onto a small balcony that overlooked the greenhouse like room below. There were two sweeping staircases on either side, allowing those who entered on the balcony to walk down to the main floor. It was only when Marinette approached the railing of the balcony to take in the view that she realized her dress set her very much out of place.

The rich, crimson fabric was expertly draped in a long, flowing skirt that just brushed the floor as Marinette walked. The bodice flowed almost seamlessly into the bottom half, the only distinction between the two sections being the intricate, hand-sewn patterns, folds, and beading that decorated the top of Marinette’s gown. It was sleeveless with a sheer fabric stretching from the top of the sweetheart neckline and forming a high collar at the base of Marinette’s neck.

While she was still confident in her dress, the audible gasps around the room as gaze after gaze flickered to stare at Marinette, she took in the fact that she was the only one not wearing a grey-scale color. Fidgeting with the bottom edge of her mask where it sat delicately on Marinette’s cheekbones, the girl contemplated hanging back a little longer to avoid the stares.

“You look positively stunning, my Lady,” a soft, warm voice spoke beside Marinette. There was comfort and familiarity in that tone, in the way that the speaker’s arm laced through the crook of her own and offered support.

“How did you know it was me, _mon chaton_?” Marinette said, her voice airy and slightly shaken. The burden of the entire room’s stares weighed heavily on her mind, even though all she could really focus on at the moment was Adrien’s arm gently guiding her. His presence was stabilizing, warm.

“I would know you anywhere,” Adrien responded smoothly. Glancing sideways at him, Marinette found that he was dressed primly in a stunning, perfect suit in traditional black and white. His pocket-handkerchief however, stood out against the breast pocket, radiating it’s almost neon green color for all to see. “Besides, you made it easy for me by wearing that stunning shade of red.”

“Excuse me,” a familiar voice stopped the pair in their tracks. Marinette and Adrien turned to find someone they easily identified as Chloe Bourgeois standing in her normal stance of cocky authority. Her honey-colored curls were released from the normal ponytail she wore them in and fell delicately over her shoulders. Chloe’s gown was a rich while with black embroidery floral patterns sprayed across the left side of the bodice. She looked lovely, even with a color coordinated mask hiding her features like everyone else.

“Yes?” Marinette found herself answering.

“Your dress,” Chloe said, gesturing with a quick nod of her head. “Who’s the designer? I’ve never seen it in any of the stores I’ve shopped at, and it’s stunning.”

Marinette blinked in surprise, the genuine compliment from Chloe entirely throwing her. Sabrina, who was hovering just at Chloe’s shoulder, seemed to be just as curious as her friend. Marinette exchanged a quick look with Adrien before she turned back to an expectant Chloe.

“Actually, it’s not in any stores. It was custom designed by Marinette Dupain-Cheng…just for tonight.”

Marinette found herself taking immense satisfaction in the way Chloe’s jaw dropped to the floor. She seemed to put two and two together than the person standing in front of her was Marinette, and she gasped and spluttered for a moment before finding her voice again.

“Y-You _made_ that?”

“Yes.”

An awkward beat of silence between them.

“It’s gorgeous, Marinette,” Chloe said genuinely before turning and abruptly pulling Sabrina away with her.

Dazed and confused by what had just happened, Marinette briefly registered Adrien turning to her and asking if she wanted to dance. She must have said yes, because they started moving a moment after that, Marinette still trying to process the compliment from Chloe. As they approached the dance floor, Marinette was still in a bit of a daze, flushing after the combination of Adrien’s compliment earlier and Chloe’s entirely unexpected compliment, and only realizing what they were doing once it was too late. Adrien spun her outwards and then pulled her back in quickly, setting them up flush against the other, as the waltz queued up somewhere off to their right. But it really didn’t matter where the band was because Marinette could only think of two things in this situation.

The first being that Adrien Agreste was this close to her and the second being that she had two left feet when it came to dancing. It wasn’t that she was clumsy or unbalanced – being Ladybug certainly proved that – but she just had so much trouble getting her feet to remember the correct order of steps. But Adrien’s hand was warm in her own, and the fingers resting against her hip offered support.

“Do you mind if I lead this time, Princess?” Adrien whispered, already starting to guide Marinette’s movements through the delicate dance. Nodding silently, Marinette trained all of her focus on making sure she did _not_ crush Adrien’s toes under her heel. That was honestly the last thing she wanted to have happen this evening. Things so far had been nearly perfect, and Adrien’s hand in her own, his gaze staring adoringly down at her, was making Marinette’s blood sing with adrenaline. She couldn’t remember a time before this when she had felt so genuinely happy.

Twirling across the open floor, Marinette felt like she was in a dream, every little detail standing out to her in a weird sort of hazy clarity. She could feel the swish of her gown over her ankles as Adrien continuously turned them in time with the music, she was hyper aware of every place her body was in contact with Adrien’s and sorely aware of the negative space between them. Looking into Adrien’s eyes, she could see flecks of gold among the vibrant green irises she had come to know so well, as well as the few stray flyaway hairs among Adrien’s perfect blonde hair. When he smiled down at Marinette, she could see the barest imprints that hinted at what could have been dimples. It was disorienting to finally see Adrien this close, the high definition of every detail that made up the masterpiece he was blurring everything else out in the background.

In hindsight, the careless attention she fixated entirely on Adrien was probably her downfall that evening.

Their entrancing waltz was suddenly broken apart by the sound of glass shattering above them and the chorus of screaming from the other students that built up into a crescendo of chaos.

Looking up in unison, Marinette let out a strangled gasp when she saw the deadly shards of glass that had been the domed ceiling falling towards the dance floor that was currently occupied by a multitude of students. Including herself and Adrien.

Before she knew what was happening, Marinette had been yanked away from the zone of potential danger. She was entirely enshrouded in a firm, warm embrace, the one holding her standing behind her and between the danger and Marinette’s exposed shoulders. Twisting quickly as the sound of the shards clattered melodiously against the tiled floor, Marinette looked up into Adrien’s eyes, searching for any sign of pain. If he had taken another hit for her, Marinette would never be able to forgive herself; especially since they weren’t transformed, meaning it would take a lot longer for Adrien to heal than if he had been Chat. But thankfully, he seemed to be okay, having gotten the both of them out of the way in time.

“Is anyone hurt?” A professor’s voice shouted above the madness, seeming to calm some of the students so order could be somewhat restored. Marinette’s thoughts flew immediately to her friends, to Alya, and she moved out of Adrien’s arms so she could scan the students, who were now all pressed as close to the edges of the room as they could get. Graciously, miraculously, no one seemed to be injured as Marinette spotted Alya and Nino across the room, huddled together and looking up at the now broken glass ceiling above. Training her gaze upward as well, Marinette’s hand shot out to grip Adrien’s hand.

 _No,_ Marinette thought desperately. _No please, not tonight. Please don’t do this tonight._

“Ladybug and Chat Noir!” Hawk Moth’s voice boomed throughout the atrium, a sick satisfaction coating his words as his malicious gaze scanned over the assembled teenagers. No one screamed, no one said anything or moved a muscle, all too terrified of being the next akuma victim if they did.

“I know you’re here!” Hawk Moth continued, obviously not having expected an answer. “I’ve done my research, and I know very well that the two of you are here this evening. Come out and face me or I will begin making akuma as quickly as I can. And then you will have no hope of saving your precious Paris from my wrath.”

Marinette tore her gaze away from Hawk Moth, hovering between the jagged remains of what had been the dome, and looked helplessly at Adrien standing beside her. He tore his gaze away from the villain a moment later and met Marinette’s eyes. His pupils were dilated with terror, but the set of his jaw told Marinette that he was read to leap into action if she would be at his side. But Marinette didn’t want to leap into action. She wanted to continue having a nice night with Adrien as her dance partner and not a care in the world. She wanted to cast aside her responsibilities as Ladybug for one night and just be _Marinette_.

“I guess we don’t have a choice,” she whispered, squeezing Adrien’s hand in her own and letting out a heavy breath. Marinette’s chest felt weighed down by the burden of knowing she would not get her fairytale evening, that she would have to be the hero tonight even though she knew that the risks now were far greater than those in make believe.

“I guess not,” Adrien agreed with a bitter smile. “But we’re together this time, so we can do this.” Gesturing to the exit behind them, Adrien offer her a cheeky grin and squeezed her hand. “After you, My Lady.”

Less than a minute later, Ladybug and Chat Noir came swinging in from an obscure corner of the atrium, Hawk Moth in their sights as he grinned wickedly down at the pair of heroes.

“At last, the guests of honor join us!” Hawk Moth called out tauntingly, seeming unconcerned about the streaks of power that were Ladybug and Chat Noir coming right for him. As Ladybug swung closer and closer, she could clearly see Hawk Moth making eye contact with her, something lighting in the pools of his grey irises that left her stomach twisting into knots of dread.

Pulling up at the last second, Ladybug secured her yoyo around one of the beams of the ceiling, calling out for Chat to stop his advance one second too late. Ladybug could only watch helplessly as Chat abruptly went from an upward ascension with the aid of his bo staff, to a rapid descent towards the glass shard covered floor. Something had slammed hard into Chat a split second before he had reached Hawk Moth. There were shouts of surprise from below, but Ladybug drowned them out as she unwound her yoyo and dropped toward Chat’s limp form. Whatever had struck him was streaking back to Hawk Moth’s side, a blur in Ladybug’s peripheral vision. Accelerating, Ladybug just barely managed to snatch Chat Noir out of the air and swing both of them to safety.

Tumbling over each other at the hasty landing, Ladybug came to a rest beside Chat, taking a moment to just lay there and take a deep breath – not realizing that she had been holding her breath while chasing her partner – before sitting up and reaching out to Chat. He was lying still, but Ladybug could see his sides expanding and contracting with his breaths.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug’s voice was breathier than normal and full of worry, much more than she had wanted to convey since there were people all around them. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine,” Chat gasped, struggling into a sitting position and offering her a reassuring smirk. “Just winded, really. Hawk Moth won’t take us down that easily.”

Relief flooded through Ladybug as her gaze shot skyward to the mentioned enemy, still hovering aloft and completely removed from the mundane battle below. Ladybug had never hated someone so fiercely before as she did in that moment, staring up at the man who had done so much wrong to so many people she cared about and loved.

“We need to knock him down a few pegs,” Chat Noir spoke beside her, drawing Ladybug’s attention back down to earth. He always seemed to know what she was about to say, and so Ladybug grinned back at her partner and nodded in agreement.

“Any ideas?”

“That thing that slammed into me? I think it was some sort of akuma. So if you go outside, acting like you’re going after it, than I can keep his attention on me while you drop in from behind.” Chat Noir explained his plan quickly and concisely, keeping his eyes on Hawk Moth the whole time he spoke in case anything happened. None of the students were trying to flee, all of them hiding behind plants and tables and chairs. They were too afraid of being targeted if they tried to leave, but Ladybug suspected part of them wanted to stay and watch the epic battle that would surely occur.

“That sounds like it could work,” Ladybug agreed, standing quickly and pulling Chat up with her. Raising her voice a little so Hawk Moth would have a chance at hearing her, Ladybug started for the exit. “I’ll go find that akuma! You take Hawk Moth and I’ll be back soon.”

“Good luck, M’Lady!” Chat called cheerfully, turning to face their nemesis as Ladybug slipped pasted a small gaggle of hiding students and headed for the grand staircase that had taken her into the building as Marinette less than an hour before. Thinking again of the night she had lost thanks to Hawk Moth, Ladybug swore to herself that this would be over quickly and that he would pay for ruining her evening.

Scrambling up onto a ledge, Ladybug threw her yoyo upwards, the familiar swish of the string expanding almost deafening in the strangely peaceful silence outside the atrium. Latching onto something sturdy up above her, Ladybug let herself fly upwards, wind whipping past her ears. She had originally just planned on going out and coming right back in, but the large bug like akuma that was apparently aiding Hawk Moth this evening appeared before it. It was fast, Marinette would give it that, but it was remarkably stupid. It took her less than two minutes and her yo-yo to cleanse the creature of dark energy. She hadn’t even needed Lucky Charm.

Dropping from the air where she had leapt to catch the akuma, Ladybug alit easily on the edge of the roof, looking around to gain her bearings and easily found the shattered arch of the roof above the room Hawk Moth was currently terrorizing. Dashing over, Ladybug cautiously peered over the jagged edge, taking care to avoid the sharp points, as she tried to take in the scene below.

Gasping sharply, Ladybug nearly toppled over the edge in horror. Hawk Moth was hovering slightly below the dome, one hand gripping his scepter firmly, the other holding Chat Noir in the air by the throat. Ladybug watched helplessly for a frozen moment as her partner gasped and struggled, clawing at Hawk Moth’s gloved hand desperately.

Unable to hold herself back and think logically, Ladybug cried out with a harsh, “No!” The scream tore at her throat as it left her lips, drawing all eyes to her as she leapt from the rooftop, yoyo still clipped at her hip. A powerful surge of rage and protectiveness coursed through Ladybug’s entire being. There was a sharp singe that lanced across her shoulders and down her back, a buzzing noise filling Ladybug’s ears before she almost jerked to a stop. She had been intending to slam into Hawk Moth, but instead, Ladybug was now hovering menacingly at eye level with a stunned Hawk Moth.

Confused, but unwilling to show it in front of Hawk Moth, Ladybug gathered information from the reactions of the students below, who were gasping loudly and crying out in surprise. One voice called out above the rest, loud and full of sheer awe as they delivered the news Ladybug was listening for.

“Ladybug has wings!”

 _Wings,_ Ladybug thought with awe as she continued to glare at Hawk Moth through narrowed eyes. _Tikki, why didn’t you ever tell me this was possible? These would have been helpful a long time ago!_

“Let him go!” Ladybug shouted above the din of rising chatter from the students below. Her demand rang out above them, though, and silence fell once more as Hawk Moth recovered from the initial shock. A slow, mocking grin spread over his face as Ladybug watched his hand clench ever tighter around Chat’s neck. Her partner gasped soundlessly for breath that he couldn’t get, eyes meeting hers desperately. There was genuine fear sparkling in the vibrant green irises of her partner’s eyes, begging for help as his struggling became weaker and weaker.

“I could,” Hawk Moth’s taunting voice snapped Ladybug’s gaze back to his face. He looked victorious, despite the fact that he had yet to actually achieve anything. It was making Ladybug uncomfortable, feeling like Hawk Moth was three steps ahead of her. “But it would be so easy to just take Chat Noir’s Miraculous right now. I could not only humiliate the both of you by doing that, but I could finally reveal his identity to everyone.”

Hawk Moth’s hand crept towards Chat’s obsidian ring fueling his powers, undefended and easily accessible. Chat’s lips were moving soundlessly, his limbs useless and weak from the lack of oxygen he was getting. Ladybug had to do something _now_.

“I said, let him _go!_ ” Zipping forward, Ladybug slammed into Hawk Moth’s side, making the villain cry out in shock as Chat Noir slipped out of his grasp as he tumbled sideways. Ladybug dove down and grabbed Chat’s hand, hauling him to safety – away from the shards – for the second time since this had started. Her partner was coughing and gasping in large, heaving breaths of air as he tried to recover, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.

Ladybug turned her furious gaze on Hawk Moth and flew at him with blinding speed, her fist connecting solidly with his jaw as she followed the strike with a swift kick to the back of Hawk Moth’s knee. They zipped around each other, colliding for brief moments of combat before breaking apart to catch their breath. At some point, Chat used his staff to join the fight, flying through the air to deliver blows, ricocheting off of the walls, using his staff, and Ladybug to stay aloft.

Gaining a brief moment of reprise as Chat dove in to land a blow, Ladybug glanced below to see that many of the students had taken this opportunity to flee the atrium. A handful of curious onlookers were huddled near the exit. Even from up this high, Ladybug could see their eyes were round with awe and fear as they watched the battle taking place. Among them, Ladybug could see Alya and Nino standing hand in hand. Alya wasn’t even recording this battle, her eyes fixed solely on the fight, which meant that this must look as serious as it felt.

Chat cried out in indignation, drawing Ladybug’s gaze back to the fight in front of her. She watched as her partner missed Hawk Moth and was forced to use his staff as a balancing point to stay where the action was. Ladybug really admired his strength and reflexes, especially at times like this. She had it easy with her newfound wings, but keeping himself engaged in the battle was probably severely sapping at Chat’s strength.

Steeling herself, Ladybug drew her wings in close to her back and started diving towards Hawk Moth’s figure. He was still focusing on Chat, obviously thinking that her partner was going to rebound and try to strike him again. Chat could clearly see Ladybug coming in to strike at Hawk Moth, so he stayed balanced on his staff and instead called out a few mocking taunts to keep their adversary’s attention on Chat. As she drew closer, the blood roared in Ladybug’s ears, adrenaline pumping through her veins at the thought of knocking Hawk Moth down and ending his reign of terror.

But at the last second, Hawk Moth whirled in her direction and one hand shot out, wrapping around Ladybug’s throat with surprising accuracy and strength. Having learned from how he had dealt with Chat Noir, Hawk Moth immediately pulled Ladybug closer, holding her like a human shield in front of him, his grip on her neck shifting with the movement but never loosening. Attempting to gasp in a breath, Ladybug felt a shot of terror down to her stomach when no air reached her lungs. How could she have been so reckless and careless when it mattered most? How could she have allowed herself to end up in this situation?

“Ladybug!” Chat’s terrified voice reached her ears, sounding distant through the oxygen-deprived haze that was already creeping over Ladybug’s senses. Struggling, Ladybug tried to kick and punch Hawk Moth, her hands also scrabbling feebly at prying away his hands from her neck. Nothing seemed to faze the villain though, as he merely chuckled darkly and tightened his hold around Ladybug’s throat.

“Such a pathetic attempt, wouldn’t you say?” Hawk Moth said, loud enough for everyone left in the room to hear. Ladybug’s eyes found Chat’s and the desperate fury she saw there was enough to break her heart. She already knew that he would try to sacrifice himself and his Miraculous for her, but she couldn’t let that happen.

“Chat Noir,” Hawk Moth’s voice cut across Ladybug’s thoughts, smooth and full of the malicious confidence that he had already won. “Hand over your Miraculous stone, and I will let Ladybug go.”

“Right,” Chat drawled, his voice sounding much calmer to Ladybug’s ears than he looked. But maybe that was just the fog over her mind. The lack of oxygen was really starting to make it hard to stay conscious. Her heartbeat was in her ears, and Ladybug could see the edges of her vision tinting black. She didn’t have much time, but she couldn’t let Chat give up his ring for her. Clawing weakly at Hawk Moth’s hands around her throat again, Ladybug desperately wished that her wings weren’t stuck between her and Hawk Moth right now.

“What guarantee do I have you’ll let her go even if I do give you my Miraculous? You could just go back on that word.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Hawk Moth mused, pausing for a moment. Then suddenly his hand was on Ladybug’s ear, and he pulled the first earring off. Ladybug could feel the drain of power, the physical connection she had with Tikki vanishing. Dimly, Ladybug could hear Chat’s outraged cry of protest, but it didn’t matter because Hawk Moth’s hand swiftly removed the second earring, stripping Ladybug of her powers and superhero identity. There was a quick burst of pink, a sudden hollow feeling in Marinette’s chest, a searing pain in her back as her wings crumpled and vanished, and then she was falling.

Hawk Moth hadn’t even cared about who she was, what her identity was underneath the Ladybug mask; he had just wanted her stones, and he had them now.

There were distant screams – the remaining students, Marinette guessed – as she watched the glass covered floor rushing up to meet her. Even though she was now free to gasp in a lungful of air, Marinette’s vision spun, tinted with darkness as she fell. She was helpless to save herself without her powers, so she just hoped it wouldn’t hurt as much as it looked like it was going to.

Closing her eyes, Marinette waited for the feeling of impact. There was an impact less than a second later, but it didn’t feel like she had hit the floor. It didn’t hurt as much as she had thought it would, but Marinette couldn’t pry her eyes open to investigate, so she remained limp as her consciousness slipped away from her.

The last thought Marinette mustered before entirely blacking out was an apology to Chat Noir for failing as his partner.

* * *

Chat Noir hadn’t ever understood the phrase so often used in movies and writing about adrenaline making everything look like it was moving in slow motion – until now. He hadn’t been fast enough, hadn’t expected Hawk Moth to give up on negotiations so quickly and just _take_ the Ladybug Miraculous right out of Marinette’s ears. Chat was so shocked that he was only able to push himself into action when he realized that Hawk Moth had let Marinette go, Marinette who was now powerless and unable to stop herself from hitting the ground.

“No!” Chat heard himself screaming desperately as he lunged into action. As he launched himself towards Marinette’s limp form, Chat was dimly aware of a cackling Hawk Moth escaping through the shattered ceiling above him. There were screams of terror from the small knot of students who had stayed to watch the battle unfold, but Chat’s attention was zeroed in on Marinette.

Reaching out to her and willing his body to fall faster than her, there were a few moments that felt like they were lasting too long, moving too slow, to be real. But then he was slamming into Marinette, his arms wrapping protectively around her pliant form as Chat’s momentum carried them sideways and away from the shards littering the atrium floor. Twisting in midair, as time seemed to catch up to them, Chat took the impact to the floor on his shoulder and spared Marinette. His legs got tangled up in Marinette’s gown, the crimson fabric wrapping around his ankles as they tumbled.

Lying there for a few moments, groaning softly as the shots of pain started to spider web out from the point of impact, Chat tried to ignore the guilt that was settling in his chest. Physically, the impact hurt like hell but Chat could already feel his powers ebbing away the pain. They could do nothing about the guilt though, so he pushed it down for the moment. Grunting, Chat shifted and untangled his legs from Marinette’s gown. Carefully, he moved Marinette, adjusting to hold her head steady as he looked down at her worriedly.

“M-Marinette?” Chat called softly, brushing her bangs out of her face with gentle fingers. Her eyes were closed, not opening her eyes at the contact or Chat’s voice. Glancing over Marinette to check her for injuries, Chat couldn’t see anything on the surface, and her chest was still rising and falling in tandem with the breath leaving her lips. So why wasn’t she waking up?

“Marinette?” Chat called again, his voice verging on hysteria. There was a distant clatter of heels running over the atrium floor and then Alya was collapsing to her knees beside the pair. Chat looked up, dazed and immediately on the defense as his arms tightened around Marinette’s prone form.

“S-She was Ladybug?” Alya whispered, awe making her voice strained. Chat was dimly aware of the fact that Nino stood at Alya’s shoulder as a few of their other classmates crowded around. Chat didn’t know how Marinette would feel about all of their classmates finding out about her identity this way, but there wasn’t much he could do about it at the moment.

“Why didn’t she tell me?” Alya looked up at Chat, her eyes watering with distress as she stared at the superhero. “Who are you? Why did this happen? What is Hawk Moth going to do now?”

“I-I don’t…I don’t know,” Chat stammered, his voice faint and full of fear. Marinette wasn’t waking up, and Hawk Moth had her Miraculous. Chat didn’t know what to do and he just wanted to be selfish and worry about Marinette and Marinette only. But he knew that if she were in his place, Marinette would make sure Chat was okay before taking care of everything else. He had to get her out of here, first.

Scooping his arms underneath Marinette’s legs and shoulders, Chat silently hoisted Marinette up, standing in a swift motion. She was limply leaning against his shoulder, still not stirring in the slightest at any of the movements Chat was making. It was starting to worry him, but perhaps it had something to do with having her Miraculous ripped forcefully away during a transformation. There was no way a hospital would be able to help her, but Chat had no idea where to even begin trying to fix this.

 _Master Fu,_ the name was whispered like a thought into Chat’s mind, and he mentally thanked Plagg for being so helpful. Realizing that he had no idea where Master Fu lived – having only met the man once in Marinette’s house – Chat was surprised to find his feet moving of their own accord. It was probably Plagg again, unconsciously guiding their host to the one place that they could actually get help. Alya and Nino and the others were bustling after Chat Noir, a flurry of questions flying from their lips and falling on deaf ears. Chat had a one track mind at this point, and that was getting Marinette to safety.

“Chat Noir!” Nino’s voice stopped Chat Noir in his tracks, some part of him remembering that these were his friends who were confused and scared and helpless when it came to fighting Hawk Moth. Turning back to face the gaggle of students trailing after him, Chat Noir let out a huff and tried to remain patient. The weight of Marinette’s limbs growing heavier and heavier was an insistent reminder of how Chat had failed, and he needed to move quickly.

“Marinette would not want any of you to come asking about her secret identity, and I’m sure none of you would want that if you were in her situation. Please don’t ask her about this when you see her again. Right now, I have to take Marinette to someone who can help us. Please remain calm, evacuate, and go home. Stay safe and stay with other people. Do not go off on your own under any circumstances.”

Chat Noir’s eyes lingered for a moment on his best friend’s face, finding some sort of understanding glinting in those familiar whiskey colored irises. Nino’s arm wound around Alya’s shoulders and he whispered something to her. Chat had no idea what he said, but it was apparently enough for Alya to take a step back and not try to chase after Chat and her best friend anymore. Nodding his thanks to Nino, Chat turned his back to them again and dashed off into the night.

* * *

Things had calmed down significantly after Chat Noir had left. Nino had found it in himself to be a stabilizing rock for the other students. Most of the teachers were able to leave after a while; not having any way to clean up the mess that Hawk Moth had created. It was during this lull of chaos that Nino was able to find Alya after she had wandered off in a bit of a daze.

“Alya,” Nino said, his voice gentle as he sat down beside his girlfriend on the grand front stairs of the atrium. Most of their classmates had been picked up or had gone off to the metro stations in groups. There were a few teachers and a handful of students left, the police apparently not on their way here as they had been notified of the situation and were out searching actively for any traces of Hawk Moth. Alya had been sitting despondently on the stairs ever since she had called her mother to come and pick her and Nino up.

“She said to me before we left that she needed a normal night. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I guess now I know. I wish I had known before…I wish she had told me or that I had figured it out before all this happened. Maybe I could have done something. Maybe then she wouldn’t be…” Alya’s voice faltered and faded out, unable to finish the thought.

“Alya, you couldn’t have known. No one knew except for Chat Noir. Marinette’s going to be okay,” Nino gave Alya’s shoulder a comforting squeeze as he pulled her close.

“She made this dress for me, she made her own dress for tonight, she always does her homework, she’s late sometimes but she works hard, and she helps at her parent’s bakery, and apparently she also manages to be Ladybug on a daily basis…” Alya’s voice was choked up at this point, her shoulders shaking against Nino’s side where he still had a hold on her. “How did she manage to do all of this without having anyone else find out? How did she do all of this without collapsing? How could I have been such a horrible friend to not notice?”

Nino completely enveloped Alya in a hug as she broke down sobbing, tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried not to bury her face in Nino’s dress shirt, sparing him from having a large make up stain.

“Alya,” Nino murmured into her hair. “Marinette will be okay. I promise.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she’s been okay so far. Have faith in her.”

Alya pulled back to look up Nino, finding his gaze trained on her and filled with honest confidence in his statement. Taking a deep, shaking breath, Alya drew strength from Nino’s aura and nodded, wiping at her cheeks to dry them. Her mother’s car pulled around the long drive just then, the window rolling down as she called out for Alya and Nino with a note of worry in her voice.

“You’re right,” Alya said softly. “I have faith in Marinette.”

* * *

“Chat Noir,” Master Fu said, his ancient voice croaking with mild surprise. He looked like he was about to ask what the superhero was doing at his door so late, but then Master Fu’s inquisitive gaze landed on Marinette’s limp form cradled in Chat’s arms. Stepping quickly to the side, the hunched man held the door aside and gestured quickly for Chat to come inside.

“What happened?” Master Fu hobbled after Chat Noir as the teen gently deposited Marinette on the mat in the middle of the floor. Master Fu knelt down beside the pair as Chat Noir called for Plagg to end their transformation. There was a brief flash of neon green before the small black cat appeared, hovering at Adrien’s shoulder and looking utterly distressed. Adrien briefly realized that he was still dressed in his suit from the dance, feeling stiff after the flexibility his suit provided. But that wasn’t important to Adrien at the moment. Plagg uncharacteristically nuzzled in an attempt at being comforting before the kwami zipped off and landed on a small table beside a sleepy Wayzz, the two speaking quietly as soon as Plagg settled beside the turtle.

“Hawk Moth showed up at the dance,” Adrien began, his voice quiet as he moved to Marinette’s other side to give Master Fu room to exam her. He reached over to brush her bangs away from her eyes, the careful style she had created still almost immaculately in place. Her gown embellishments sparkled prettily in the dim lighting, making Marinette look like a sleeping beauty – a princess straight out of a fairy tale. “We transformed and fought him for a while, but he anticipated Marinette’s one attack and grabbed her. He took her Miraculous right off of her when she was still transformed as Ladybug before I could get to them. She hasn’t been conscious since that happened.”

Master Fu hummed, the noise low and concerned as he closed his eyes and waved his hands over Marinette. Adrien had no idea what the old man was doing, but he knew that Marinette had met him before, and she seemed to trust him, so he watched quietly and held Marinette’s limp hand in both of his.

After a couple minutes of Master Fu quietly humming to himself, his eyes remaining closed the whole time, the old man lowered his hands and let out a weary sigh. Adrien’s grip around Marinette’s hand tightened a little in anticipation.

“Do you know what’s wrong with her?” he asked in a breathy voice, almost scared to hear the answer.

“The shock of losing her Miraculous so suddenly,” Master Fu began, still sounding as weary as his sigh. “It’s thrown her energy so far out of balance that it’s going to take me a little while to realign. Unfortunately, that’s time that you do not have. You need to go find Hawk Moth and get the Ladybug Miraculous back from him. He cannot remain in possession of the earrings. No matter what.”

“You mean I have to go by myself?” Adrien asked in surprise. “Face Hawk Moth on my own, without the power to reverse an akuma?”

“I’m afraid so,” Master Fu said, pushing creakily to his feet before making his way over to a shelf full of bottle of herbs and other strange looking concoctions. “It is the only way to ensure that Hawk Moth does not misuse the Miraculous. And I know it’s risky sending you there on your own, especially since if Hawk Moth gets his hands on your Miraculous things could end drastically, but as I said he cannot remain in possession of the Ladybug stones.”

“Master Fu-” Adrien tried to protest, but the old man cut him off.

“However, I do think that you won’t be entirely alone. I’ve distributed a couple more Miraculous in the months that you and Ladybug have spent becoming an efficient team. They are not as experienced as you two are, but they have enough training at this point to be of use to you now. The Bee and Peacock Miraculous now have wielders, and I think you will be surprised to hear that their hosts are closer to you than you think. It was also thanks to Plagg that the Peacock Miraculous was found again after years of it being missing.”

“Plagg?” Adrien said in surprise, turning to look at the little black cat.

“It was in that safe in your father’s study,” Plagg said quietly. At the surprised noise from Adrien, Plagg actually looked almost guilty. “Your mother used to wield it. It’s not uncommon for wielder qualities to be genetic. There are almost centuries of stories that have Miraculous stones being passed down through bloodlines.”

“My…mother?” Adrien whispered, feeling his heart clench at the memory of her warm smile. When he thought about it, the notion made sense to Adrien. His mother had always been strong, brave, and selfless. What he remembered of her was everything that he could associate with Marinette when she exuded the powers of Ladybug.

Suddenly, a thought struck Adrien and he looked up in terror and Plagg and Master Fu. “Wait…if my father had my mother’s Miraculous, does that mean he took it from her? How did he get it from her? How did he know? Is my father a Miraculous wielder?”

Plagg looked a little surprised, but shook their head and reassured Adrien quickly. “You’re father is not a Miraculous wielder. Good or evil, I would have been able to sense it if he was actively using one. I think he knew about your mother, but that’s all. I think…that may be why he’s so protective of you, Adrien.”

Looking down at Marinette, Adrien let the news sink in, his chest compressing with the guilt of even implying that his father had stolen a Miraculous. He had probably gotten if from his mother after she had passed away. But if he knew what it was, why hadn’t he known about Master Fu? With a heavy sigh, Adrien decided to leave those questions for another time. Squeezing Marinette’s hand again before putting it gently down on her stomach, Adrien left a lingering kiss against her forehead. Straightening up, Adrien leveled his gaze with Master Fu.

“Where can I find the other wielders?”

“You don’t have to find them,” Master Fu said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “You already know them. I’ll contact them so they will know to meet you. Where should I tell them to go?”

Adrien hesitated a moment before, “The top of the Eiffel Tower.”

* * *

Leaving Marinette with Master Fu was one of the hardest things that Adrien had ever done. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Master Fu to take care of her; he just hated the idea of leaving Marinette’s side without knowing that she was going to be okay. Sighing to himself, weary and running low on energy and adrenaline, Chat Noir stood erect on one of the highest beams of the Eiffel Tower. The cool night air blew steadily around him, not affecting his balance at all as he was by far used to bracing himself against it. The two new wielders had been contacted and were confirmed by Master Fu to be on their way to meet him.

The hour was getting late and Chat Noir’s patience was beginning to run thin. Time was of the essence and Marinette and Hawk Moth would not wait for tardy wielders. He was just about to give up and start the search for Hawk Moth on his own when Chat Noir saw two distinctly human shapes quickly making their way towards him over the rooftops of Paris. He leaned casually against the support beam next to him, having only to wait a few moments more before the Peacock and Bee wielders were standing before him.

Their breathing was labored from the journey and the climb, but they seemed ready to leap into action. Chat lazily raised his eyes to the pair, trying to appear calmer than he actually was. But when his eyes landed on the two, his heart skipped a beat.

The Peacock wielder, though his face was covered in a mask just like Chat’s and Ladybug’s, Chat would recognize those whiskey colored eyes anywhere. And the Bee…her honey-blonde curls were easy to pinpoint no matter what kind of mask she donned. Chat couldn’t believe what he was seeing, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as he abandoned all pretense of appearing nonchalant and professional.

“Nino? Chloe?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took so long I am so horrible >< but I was struck by a desire to just get this done this weekend and so here it is! The fifth chapter of this monster I thought I could handle. Anyways, just the usual reminders: kudos and comment to let me know what you think! This chapter was not beta read so forgive any mistakes you find please. And I will continue to try and update as quickly as I can.  
> Check out my tumblr for infrequent updates on this piece: miraculous--kitty


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm, hello yeah so it's been a fUCKING Y E A R SINCE I UPDATED LAST. In case any of you are still around and are curious, life kicked my ass and so this chapter took way too long to write. Let's just say there were like two or three hospital trips, lots of drama, lots of screaming and crying, and a shit ton of school work that kind of got in the way. But regardless! This chapter is DONE! There will probably be one or two more chapters to finish off this monster of a story and then it will be done. And it won't take a hecking year this time I swear to god.
> 
> Additionally, I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but that's because of everything that I stated above. Apologies for that...

Adrien felt like he was going to fall off the top of the Eiffel Tower, and he wasn’t so sure that his state of complete shock would allow him to catch himself before he hit the pavement below and became a Chat pancake. He was still trying to effectively wrap his mind around the fact that Nino and Chloe – two people he claimed to be good friends with – had somehow been wielding the Bee and Peacock Miraculous for weeks, months, and he hadn’t even noticed.

“Did Master Fu tell you who we are?” Chloe asked with a hint of bitterness in her voice. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, but seriously what’s the point of a secret identity if he’s just going to go around telling people? Besides, he didn’t tell us who _you_ are.”

“He…” Chat tried, felt his voice falter, cleared his throat and tried again. “He didn’t tell me who you two were.”

Chloe paused and closed her mouth from where she had been about to continue speaking. Nino raised an eyebrow in Chat’s direction behind his mask, eyes looking Chat up and down with an odd sort of expression to them.

“So, we know you then? How else would you know us?” Nino said, his tone calm and even despite the sudden wariness he felt towards Chat.

“School,” was all Adrien offered up as answer. Giving himself a shake, he thought of Marinette lying in Master Fu’s workroom and reminded himself that this wasn’t why the three Miraculous wielders had met up on the peak of the Eiffel Tower at almost one in the morning.

“We don’t have time for this,” Chat said quickly, trying to put himself in the position that Marinette would had she been here. “HawkMoth stole Ladybug’s Miraculous stones and we need to get them back for her. We don’t have much time, and we have to make sure that he doesn’t grab my stone either.”

“And what makes your Miraculous so special that HawkMoth _absolutely_ can’t have it?” Chloe asked, no spite to her tone.

“If he has both mine and Ladybug’s…he can access a power that could essentially drain our powers and potentially kill the two of us. So let’s just say that he really can’t wield both at once because then we would all be in danger.”

“Noted,” Chloe said, her voice pitching up an octave in mild fear.

Chat nodded, glancing at Nino to see that his point had gotten across to both of his friends effectively. Placing his hands on his hips, Chat’s glowing green eyes flit between the two amateur wielders.

“I’m assuming that the two of you have means of travelling quickly through the city? Because we need to find HawkMoth as soon as possible and we don’t have time to catch the late night tourist buses.”

“We do,” Nino answered for both himself and Chloe. “But how do we know where we’re going?” 

* * *

Honestly, Chat would have liked to tell the story of them finding Hawk Moth as some heroic, purposeful flight across the city rooftops – easy and concise. But in truth, Chloe was the one who happened to peer into a large cathedral window across the street of a rooftop they were surveying the city from. And through that window, they found their destination.

“Call me crazy,” Chloe said hesitantly. “But is that a room full of glowing butterflies over there?” Following the direction of her pointing finger, Chat and Nino huddled up beside Chloe and squinted at the dim silhouette of the window. Sure enough, a room filled with fluttering, softly glowing butterflies presented itself to the three teens.

“Well, I guess we’re here,” Chat said unnecessarily.

“Right, and how are we going to approach this, dude?” Nino said, turning to look at Chat. “Just walk right up and knock? ‘Yes, excuse me? I think you took my friend’s earrings. Can we have them back?’ Should work out right?” The heavy sarcasm in Nino’s voice was the giveaway to Chat of just how scared his friend was. Nino only ever got this way when he was in a bad mood or uncomfortable.

“Well, he definitely wouldn’t be expecting us to show up at his door knocking, that’s for sure,” Chat said casually, a weak attempt at lightening the mood.

“Chat Noir,” Chloe’s slightly annoyed voice drew his attention to her. “This is serious. Ladybug needs us to get her earrings back so she can be okay again. Stop trying to joke around.”

Wincing, Chat could feel his ears droop along with his mood. He knew Chloe was right, but her words were a harsh reminder of what was on the line if they failed here. Marinette would probably be okay after Master Fu tended to her, but if Chat and his new hero companions failed, she would never again be Ladybug.

“Chloe, that’s not—” Nino started to defend Chat, but Chat was quick to stop him.

“No, she’s right. This is deadly serious,” Chat’s luminescent eyes narrowed as he scanned the window for signs of movement that would tell them if the butterflies were the only things occupying the room. “If we fail here, Ladybug will never be able to transform again and Hawk Moth will gain even more power with her Miraculous. We need to get this done and get it done right.”

“So what are we going to do?” Chloe asked, her eyes scanning the window, probably looking to see if there was an easy way in through there. “It doesn’t look like anyone is in the room, but we can’t exactly see the entire place from here.”

Chat sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and chewed a little at it, a nervous habit that rarely surfaced these days unless he was under a lot of pressure. Sighing quietly through his nose, Chat rocked his weight back onto his heels as he tried to come up with some kind of plan. Marinette always seemed to be great at thinking on her feet and getting them through nearly impossible situations. But she wasn’t here now, and Chat wasn’t used to taking the lead. He was always more than willing to follow Ladybug’s instruction and offer his thoughts and input when he felt it was needed, but this was an entirely new playing field that he had very little experience in.

“I’m not sure, honestly,” Chat eventually pushed out. Chloe and Nino looked back at him in surprise. “Ladybug and I have never had to deal with something this intense before. There’s a lot more on the line now and I’m afraid to make even a small mistake.”

“Chat, dude,” Nino said quietly. “I know that you’re ridiculously stressed out about how much is on the line, but we need a plan and we need to act fast.”

Chat nodded, his eyes trained on the window as the glowing butterflies floated past.

“What if we just sneak in through the window down there?” Chloe suggested, pointing to a much more normal sized window about two floor below the large picture window. It seemed to be slightly opened, just enough for one of them to pry it open from the outside so they could all slip through.

“Perfect,” Chat smiled at Chloe. “Then we can work our way upstairs and get a sense of the layout, hopefully before we run into HawkMoth. Assuming he’s in there.”

Nino, seemingly satisfied with at least the foundations of a plan in place, stood and stretched beside them.

“Well then, let’s get this party started.”

* * *

Marinette’s head felt groggy as she struggled to blink her eyes open. Consciousness seemed like such a troublesome thing to achieve and she wanted so desperately to just slip back into the comforting, warm darkness of sleep. But there was something nagging at the back of her mind, telling her that she was forgetting about something important.

Something that felt like it might be life or death.

Something…

“Chat!” Marinette cried out, sitting bolt upright and immediately dropping her head into her hands when the room spun dangerously. Groaning at the feeling, Marinette tried to find her center as the blood roared in her ears.

“Marinette!” A small, tinny voice reached her ears and she slowly lifted her head from her hands. Looking around the room, Marinette blearily registered the space as Master Fu’s home as she sat on the futon spread across the floor. Wayzz zipped up to Marinette and beamed brightly at her.

“You’re awake! Master will be so pleased! He’s just gone to get something for you to eat and drink.”

“Wayzz?” Marinette mumbled, rubbing at her face a little to try and wake up more. “What happened? What am I doing here? Where’s Chat?”

A surge of panic coursed through Marinette’s veins at the last question, remembering suddenly why she had woken up so harshly in the first place. Chat was in some kind of danger, and not just him, but her friends too. She had no idea what had happened, how long she had been out, or how she had even gotten to Master Fu’s place. Looking down, Marinette realized that she was still in her ball gown, which was odd considering she could clearly remember transforming into Ladybug…

“HawkMoth,” Marinette mumbled in horror. “HawkMoth showed up at the dance, and Chat and I were fighting him. What happened to everyone? Where’s Chat? What about—”

Marinette stopped, her breath catching in her throat as she remembered the feeling of HawkMoth’s hand around her neck, choking her and cutting off her airways as she could only watch Chat helplessly. One hand drifted subconsciously to her neck, finger tracing lightly over her skin and shaking with fear. HawkMoth had almost ended her.

She had almost died.

“Oh my god,” Marinette whispered. “He— ” her hands drifted to her ears and Marinette choked on a sob. “He took my earrings. He has Tikki and my powers and I can’t transform or anything. I’m useless.”

“That is not true,” a voice croaked from the doorway. Marinette turned to look at Master Fu, a tray of food in his hands. The wrinkles around the old man’s eyes seemed deeper and aged with the stress of recent events. But his eyes were still bright, still kind and understanding of the horror and helplessness that Marinette was feeling. He walked further into the room and deposited the tray beside the futon.

“Just because you are powerless does not mean you do not have power,” Master Fu smiled at her. “You are still Ladybug even if you are missing your mask. You can still help your friends. But first, you need to eat. You lost a lot of energy when HawkMoth threw your spirit off balance.”

“H-He what?” Marinette asked, accepting the sandwich Master Fu passed her.

“Chat Noir brought you here, and he told me that HawkMoth took your earrings from you while you were still transformed as Ladybug. In doing so, your spirit and energy were thrown so far out of balance that it drained you immensely. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t fix with a little time, but you still need to eat to properly gain energy again.”

“Where is Chat now? Is he still here?” Marinette asked around a mouthful of sandwich. Now that she had started eating, she realized how hungry she was.

“No,” Master Fu shook his head and sat back on his heels. “I sent him ahead to find HawkMoth to try and retrieve your Miraculous back. I also sent the Bee and Peacock wielders to meet him. Rest assured, he is not alone.”

“Are they ready to face HawkMoth? You told me that you had only given those Miraculous out no more than two months ago. Besides, I still don’t even know who you gave them to.”

“They’re ready enough. If you and Chat are with them, I believe that you have a good chance of getting your stones back. But they will need you there.”

“How am I supposed to find them?” Marinette asked, finishing off her sandwich and feeling better for it. She also felt distressed, knowing that she couldn’t just sit here and let her friends do all the dangerous work without her. But she had no idea how to find them, or what she would even do to help if she found them at all. 

Master Fu handed her a small device, the screen on it showing a small blinking dot about halfway across the city from where they were now. She looked back to the old man in confusion.

“This is showing you where Chat’s Miraculous is. You should be able to find him using this. It’s something I made a long time ago for emergencies, and now seems like a good time for you to use it.”

“Thank you, Master Fu,” Marinette said sincerely, moving to get up from the futon. She still felt remarkably shaky and weak, but her friends needed her and she refused to sit around and wait.

“Please, be careful,” Master Fu cautioned as Marinette stumbled to her feet. She huffed at the thought of having to work her way across Paris in a ball gown that was meant for mild dancing. Maybe she should have designed it with the fact that she might have to run in mind. But honestly, how could she have seen this coming?

“I’ll be fine,” Marinette promised distractedly as she wrestled briefly with her skirt, tying it up securely at her knee so her legs had more freedom. She did so with a twinge of disappointment at crumpling the fabric, but knew it needed to be done.

“Again, thank you for all of your help,” Marinette bowed quickly to Master Fu as she prepared to head out. “I won’t let you down.” 

* * *

Travelling across the city was actually a lot easier than Marinette had anticipated. She managed to get herself onto the metro, her purse having been left with Master Fu thanks to Chat. She got a few strange looks from some of the people on board with her because of her dress, but Marinette didn’t have the time or care to be bothered by them. Her foot tapped restlessly on the floor as she kept her eyes trained on the tracking device. Hopping off at a stop that seemed closest to the little blinking dot, Marinette started walking briskly through the city streets, working ever closer to the location of Chat’s Miraculous.

She hoped desperately that everything was okay and that HawkMoth hadn’t hurt Chat or the other two Miraculous wielders. It would all be on her if any of them had been hurt, simply because she hadn’t been strong enough to fight back and keep her Miraculous. 

“Please be okay,” Marinette begged to the cold night air as she turned a corner, coming face to face with a large cathedral on the other side of the street. Glancing down at the tracker, she could see that Chat’s Miraculous was inside. Praying quickly that he was okay, Marinette dashed across the street and up the steps to the front door. Giving a quick tug, she found that the doors had been left unlocked. She couldn’t fathom why they were unlocked at such a late hour, but instead of dwelling on it, Marinette counted her blessings and rushed inside. There was no one in the actual chapel of the building, but there were distant thuds and noises coming from what sounded like the ceiling.

“Do cathedrals have attics?” Marinette wondered aloud as she scrambled around looking for a way up. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for her to find the door hiding the staircase that would lead her upstairs. The steps were old and worn, the entire stairwell smelling musty and unused as Marinette scrambled her way up to the noises that were growing steadily louder. The closer she got, the more distinct the shouting voices became. Chat’s was clearest to her, as well as the panic in his voice. The other two – who she assumed were probably the Bee and Peacock wielders as Master Fu had said – were familiar enough to Marinette that she recognized them but could not place them.

And underneath it all was the malicious tone of HawkMoth, his deep voice powerful and mocking. The sound of it made Marinette shiver involuntarily.

Pausing at the top of the stairs, Marinette peered around the doorway and found HawkMoth easily fending off the three wielders. Even from across the room, Marinette could see him smirking in what he thought was obvious triumph. Clearly this battle had been going on long before Marinette had gotten here, if the panting breaths that Chat and the other two were taking were any indication.

Marinette watched in horror as Chat and the Peacock wielder lunged forward together, aiming to knock HawkMoth off balance, but merely resulted in HawkMoth knocking the Peacock aside with ease. HawkMoth reached for Chat when the younger looked over at the Peacock in distress. Marinette felt her breathing catch when she realized that HawkMoth was going to _take Chat’s Miraculous._

“Chat Noir!” Marinette cried out. “Watch out!”

Her intervention succeeded in startling HawkMoth, who momentarily forgot about grabbing the vulnerable Miraculous off of Chat’s finger. Chat also looked over to Marinette, clearly not expecting to hear her voice. He looked relieved and terrified to see her, but he reacted in time to move out of HawkMoth’s range, heading for Marinette instead.

“What are you doing here?” Chat demanded, gasping for breath as he shielded her from the fight that carried on without them.

“Master Fu fixed me up and directed me here,” Marinette explained shortly. “I need to get my stones back so I can help and I wasn’t going to sit around and not do anything.”

Chat’s bright green gaze softened as he pulled her into a brief hug, his arms warm and sturdy around Marinette. She allowed herself a quick moment to melt into him before they separated, Chat keeping his hands on her shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re here, but it’s dangerous without your powers. I don’t want you to get anymore hurt than you already have tonight. Please be careful…I have to help the others.”

Marinette nodded and gestured for Chat to rejoin the fight. “I’ll be alright,” she promised. “Be safe.”

Chat leaned in and left a quick kiss on Marinette’s cheek before he turned and leapt back into the fray. Marinette ducked back behind the doorframe and peered out, observing. From what she could see, HawkMoth didn’t have her earrings anywhere visibly on him, which was a plus. But at the same time, that meant Marinette had no idea where they were. Usually Tikki helped her out so they could come up with a good plan, but now Marinette was left to her own devices and she was struggling a little. Most of the ideas she came up with were good, but required her to be in possession of her Miraculous.

“What am I going to do?” Marinette groaned, bumping her head lightly against the doorframe. “I can’t do anything like this, except act as bait.”

A moment later, Marinette’s head snapped up, eyes wide.

_Perfect._

Stepping out from behind the doorframe, Marinette slipped around the edge of the room so she was in closer proximity to the fight. She kept herself low and invisible until she was as close as she could get without getting caught up in the blows. Taking a deep breath, Marinette straightened up and moved around a little, drawing HawkMoth’s attention to her new, vulnerable position. His eyes gleamed with malice before he lunged forward and grabbed at Marinette. She ducked, trying to get away from him, but he was fast enough to snag her arm and yank her into his side, holding her hostage.

“I wouldn’t attack if I were you,” HawkMoth sneered at the others. “Or you might put the now powerless Ladybug in harm’s way.” It was only now that HawkMoth referred to her as Ladybug that Marinette realized she was still wearing her mask from the ball. It was a little bigger and much more intricate than her Ladybug mask, so she hadn’t really noticed it, so used to the presence of her other mask. Either way, Marinette was grateful she was wearing it, her identity still being somewhat concealed from HawkMoth.

“Let her go!” Chat growled, everything in his posture just screaming _feline_ as he glowered at HawkMoth lividly.

“Oh I don’t think I will,” HawkMoth crooned, his grip on Marinette tightening. “I think it would be interesting to find out just who she is before I take her out. I don't have to end Ladybug since she’s powerless now. But I think breaking the rest of you would be fun, and it would certainly make taking all of you out easier.”

“Don’t you _dare,_ ” the Bumblebee threatened, her shoulders tense and her grip on her weapon chokingly tight. Marinette fumbled for a moment at the clear sound of her voice, easily pinpointing the wielder now as _Chloe._

 _I did_ not _see that coming…_ Marinette thought to herself. She moved slowly, refocusing on her purpose for getting caught in the first place. HawkMoth was effectively distracted by the others giving her the perfect opportunity to slip her hand into his jacket pocket that was positioned in just the right place for her to…

“Please,” Marinette sobbed as she retracted her hand successfully from HawkMoth’s pocket and moved her hands to tug weakly at HawkMoth’s arm holding her in place. “Please let me go!”

Chat’s eyes smoldered even more and he ground his teeth in frustration. His gaze warned Marinette that he was about to act, knowing her partner well enough by now without him having to actually tell her that.

Sure enough, Chat lunged a moment later, his weapon aiming for the side HawkMoth had left open, the side Marinette wasn’t on. Marinette wasn’t sure how HawkMoth would react, but apparently he decided after a split second that the chance at striking down Chat Noir was more appealing than keeping his hold on Marinette. She was thrown roughly to the side, stumbling to the floor but keeping her one hand closed and pressed to her chest. The Peacock wielder rushed forward and helped Marinette to her feet, drawing her away from Chat and HawkMoth who were now engaged in a flurry of blows, pushing her behind him.

“Are you crazy?” The Peacock wielder asked incredulously. Marinette blinked in surprise as she realized that was Nino’s voice. “What were you thinking getting that close to the fight?”

“I was thinking I could be useful now,” Marinette answered, pushing aside her mild shock at finding out who her fellow wielders were. Holding out the hand she had kept clutched to her chest, Marinette unfurled her fingers and revealed the Ladybug earrings sitting safely in her palm. Nino’s eyes widened before he broke out into a large grin, eyes bright.

“You’re incredible! How did you know where he had them?”

“Well,” Marinette said as she started to put her earrings on, the weight of them in her ears comforting and familiar. “He wasn’t wearing them from what I could see, and I wasn’t sure where else someone would keep earrings so I took a calculated risk.”

“What if you had been wrong?” Chloe’s voice piped up beside them as Marinette secured the first earring in her ear. Turning to the blonde, Marinette shrugged one shoulder casually.

“Chat would have rescued me. I trust him.”

“That’s a crazy amount of trust to put in a person,” Chloe said.

“Well we’re a crazy couple.”

“You’re a couple?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah.”

“You know that really doesn’t surprise me as much as I expected it to,” Nino mused, looking over at the fight still going on between Chat and HawkMoth. “We should probably get back in there though, now that you’re safe and powered up.”

“Right, you two go ahead. I have to make sure my kwami is okay before I transform.”

Chloe and Nino nodded, darting off quickly and trying to help Chat as best as they could. Marinette ducked further back from the fighting, Tikki manifesting suddenly in front of her. The little kwami looked exhausted and slightly limp, but brightened immediately upon seeing Marinette.

“Marinette!” Tikki squeaked, darting forward to nuzzle against the girl’s cheek. “You’re alright! You got the Miraculous back!”

Marinette reached up to cup the little fairy, beaming brightly at Tikki. “Of course I did. I wasn’t going to let HawkMoth have you. Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?”

Tikki shook their head and settled into Marinette’s palm. A little yawn escaped the kwami before Tikki answered.

“No, but what happened really drained me. But I should be okay enough to get through the battle with you. Just be extra careful this time around, okay?”

Marinette nodded and held Tikki close for a moment before calling out for her kwami to transform her. The bright pink flash and Marinette’s voice distracted Chat, having been unaware that she had regained her Miraculous stones. He remembered just in time to duck out of HawkMoth’s range before leaping over to his partner.

Scooping Ladybug up into a hug when he arrived at her side, Chat kissed Ladybug’s cheek before putting her down again. Ladybug beamed brightly up at Chat, reaching up to playfully poke his nose once he let her go.

“You’re absolutely incredible My Lady,” Chat sighed. “I didn’t even know you got those back. That’s why you let him grab you, right? That was dangerous! I know you trust me, but things could still have gone wrong! God, I love you,” Chat ranted everything at once, scooping Ladybug back into a hug after his brief moment of worried anger. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I hope I won’t have to,” Marinette sighed, leaning into Chat’s hug for an indulgent moment before pushing back gently. “We need to help the other two. We can cuddle later, promise.”

“You promised,” Chat grinned. “I expect lots of cuddles later for the worry you caused me.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure” Ladybug laughed, poking Chat’s nose playfully before she gently shoved him away. “Let’s go.”

The two leapt quickly into the fray, helping Nino and Chloe where they could, trying to find a way to gain the upper hand over HawkMoth. Ladybug had initially thought that with four Miraculous holders coming after him at once, HawkMoth would go down fairly quickly, but he wasn’t. If anything, he just seemed to be toying with them, like he was trying to tire them out so he could take _them_ out in the end.

Pulling back from the fight for a moment, Ladybug narrowed her eyes at the scene, breathing labored. She could feel the power Tikki was supplying her with weakening rapidly. Her kwami was still recovering from what had happened and Marinette had not been in top shape when she had put her Miraculous back on to transform. They had only made it this far on sheer force of will; and it wouldn’t last them much longer.

“Chat!” Ladybug called, gesturing for her partner when he glanced her way. He landed quickly beside her and grabbed her arm worriedly.

“Are you alright, My Lady?”

“I’m fine,” Ladybug reassured him quickly. “But I need something.”

“Anything.”

“I need your ring.”

“My…” Chat looked confused and stunned for a moment before something seemed to click in his head. “No.”

“Chat,” Ladybug tried, sounding exasperated and rushed.

“No,” Chat said again, his voice firm. “I won’t let you. You aren’t strong enough right now. I know what you’re planning and I won’t let it happen. In fact, you give me your earrings. I’ll do it.”

“Chat, no,” Ladybug protested. “It’s too dangerous. I’m responsible for this mess, so I’ll handle this.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Chat-”

“No.”

“Listen to me. I—”

“No!” 

“Why not?” Ladybug shouted in frustration. They were wasting time and the sooner she did this the sooner the fight would be over.

“Because I love you!” Chat shouted back at her, making Ladybug freeze. “I love you and I refuse to stand here and let you get hurt _again._ I already failed you once tonight, and I will not let it happen again. So give me the damn earrings, Marinette.”

“A-Adrien,” Ladybug whispered, her voice cracking quietly under the cacophony of Chloe and Nino still battling HawkMoth across the room.

“We’re running out of time and energy,” Chat said, his voice softer and hands gentle and as he cupped Ladybug’s face in his gloved hands. “Give me your Miraculous and this will all be over. I won’t let you down again.”

Ladybug choked on a quiet sob, but she clutched Chat’s fingers in her own and nodded quietly. Reaching up, she whispered for Tikki to de-transform them before she took out the earrings. Placing them carefully in Chat’s outstretched hand, Marinette gripped his curled up fist firmly and made him look her in the eyes.

“You never let me down in the first place,” Marinette whispered, tears streaking down her cheeks. “I love you, too.”

Chat stared at her quietly for a moment before surging forward and kissing Marinette soundly on the lips, lingering for a moment longer than he should have given the situation. Breaking apart after a moment, Chat took in Marinette’s face, soaking in the details he loved most about her – the little freckles under her eyes, the curve of her lower lip, the little button-like quality of her nose – before he brush her bangs aside gently and released her hand. Reaching up, Chat secured the earrings in his ears, grateful that the jewelry had morphed into clips to accommodate the fact that he did not have pierced ears.

Power surged through Chat after a moment, stronger than anything he had ever felt before. A gasp slipped past his lips and he stumbled back a step from the sheer force. Giving himself a moment to adjust, Chat glanced at Marinette, her eyes wide with worry and cheeks wet with tears. He threw her a reassuring grin and nodded.

“I’ve got this.”

Chat turned and advanced on HawkMoth, the power roiling in his chest building in pressure with ever second that passed. Eventually Chat stood directly in front of HawkMoth, Chloe and Nino having backed off when they spotted him. Both were currently shielding Marinette at the far end of the room, ready to flee or rejoin the fight depending on how things went.

“You?” HawkMoth sneered at Chat. “The Ladybug let _you_ control the Harmonic Convergence? You do not understand the power you possess, child. Give me the Miraculous and give up, boy.”

“You should give up,” Chat said back to him, voice steady and calm. “Before I do something I’ll regret.”

HawkMoth laughed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the cavernous attic space. Marinette flinched across the room, hating the sound of HawkMoth laughing like that.

Chat, on the other hand, didn’t even blink. He simply raised his arm, outstretched fingers pointing towards HawkMoth as energy began to glow a strange pink and green color surrounding his hand. HawkMoth simply glared back at the teen, but Marinette could see that he was visibly unsettled now, a frown morphing HawkMoth’s features. Chat didn’t move, his glowing hand still pointed in HawkMoth’s direction.

“You do not understand the power you wield, child,” HawkMoth’s voice was quiet and dangerous.

“I don’t need to understand it,” Chat’s voice was soft, sending a shiver down Marinette’s spine at how calm he sounded even though he had this power at his fingertips. She remembered what Master Fu had said about the Harmonic Convergence before, and felt a pang of terror in her gut.

Why had she let Chat convince her to give it up?

“All I need is for it to get rid of you.”

“Chat,” Marinette breathed out, feeling suffocated suddenly. She couldn’t let him do this.

“Your reign of terror ends here, HawkMoth,” Chat said calmly, the glow starting to spread all over his body. “You won’t be able to hurt anyone anymore.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop and Marinette panicked, trying to lunge forward so she could get to Chat. This was a mistake. She had to stop this before he hurt himself, before he did something he couldn’t undo. She had to save him.

“Chat Noir!” Marinette screamed, Nino’s arms looping around her waist and holding her back. With Chloe’s help, the two of them began to drag Marinette out of the attic and back into the stairwell, terrified of the power that Chat Noir was about to unleash.

“Stop it!” Marinette sobbed. “Let me go! I have to help him! I have to save him! He’s going to get hurt, or do something bad that he won’t be able to fix!”

“Marinette, stop!” Nino begged, holding her back firmly.

“He’s going to die!” Marinette sobbed.

Suddenly there was a piercing scream from above them; all of them freezing halfway down the stairs as they looked up at the attic doorway. All they could see was a rapidly intensifying glow that looked exactly like the glow that had been surrounding Chat Noir. Following the scream was a high-pitched whistling sound, like too much pressure built up in too small of a space. Nino moved first, yanking the girls down the steps further before they were thrown forward with the explosion of the pressure.

Marinette found herself still in Nino’s arm, somehow not taking the brunt of the force, but still unsteady when she managed to raise her head from where they had been throw further down the stairs. Everything seemed foggy and out of focus, and Marinette worried that she might have hit her head before she realized that it was actually settling dust and debris around them.

Blinking a few times at her surroundings, ears ringing, Marinette took a moment before a strangled noise escaped her chest.

“Chat Noir?” Marinette called, voice cracking and unsteady as she tried to shove herself to her feet. There was no response, and it was only a moment later that Marinette realized the way back up to the attic was blocked off, wreckage piled up in her way of what probably used to be the attic. Panic swelled in her chest and Marinette sobbed brokenly as she tried to desperately convince herself this couldn’t mean what she thought it did.

But there was an empty feeling in her chest and no way to get back to the attic – assuming it still existed.

Desperation forced Marinette to crumble to her knees, sobs wracking her chest as she clutched at her own arms, hugging herself tightly in an effort to keep herself together.

“Adrien!” Marinette sobbed brokenly, her voice shaky and tinged with hysteria. This couldn’t be happening. 

“ADRIEN!”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...it only took like two months this time!! Anyway, I know that this chapter still isn't up to the length of the earlier chapters, but I wanted to end this chapter here and this was all that really fit into the story line between where the last one ended and this one ended. There's one more chapter left to this, and I'll try to make it exciting. Things are pretty much just wrapping up at this point, so let me know what you all think! I love you all so much for sticking with me through this!

“Marinette!” Alya’s voice pulled Marinette from her daze, the irritating prick of the saline drip attached near the crook of her elbow suddenly coming back to her as her awareness rushed in again. The hospital blanket was itchy against the bare skin of her legs, the gown barely going to her knees. The bright red of her ball gown folded carefully on the chair near the bed the only spot of color in the beige hospital room.

“Are you okay? What happened? Did you call your parents? Should I call them?”

“Alya,” Marinette whispered, stopping her friend’s tide of questions. “How did you know to come here?”

“Nino called me,” Alya said in a softer voice, sitting in a spare chair near the bed. She scooped one of Marinette’s hands in between her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. “He came here with you after you passed out.”

Marinette couldn’t remember much of what happened at the dance after HawkMoth took her stones, but she was sure that Alya probably knew about her being Ladybug now. However, Alya wasn’t saying anything about it, and Marinette had never been more grateful for her friend than she was now.

“Where…where is Nino?” Marinette asked, her voice cracking a little, her throat dry. It was only when she shifted a little that she realized she had an oxygen tube secured under her nose. She had been so out of it that Marinette hadn’t even realized it had been put there.

“He said he wanted to go find Adrien,” Alya said, her gaze flickering down to scan the bandages wrapped around the scrapes and cuts on Marinette’s arms. The flying debris from the explosion had caught her skin in several places apparently.

Marinette felt herself choke on a soft sob at the reminder that she had no idea what had happened to Adrien after the attic collapsed. He could be buried under all that rubble from the attic; he could be in pain or trapped or worse…

“What is it?” Alya asked with worry thick in her voice. “Are you in pain? Should I get the nurse? God…Marinette what _happened_ after you left?”

“A-Alya…” Marinette managed to sniffle out. “I know you know…b-but I need to get out of here. I need to go find him. He needs my help…he has both our Miraculous and he’s probably hurt. I—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Alya laid a gentle hand on Marinette’s shoulder, trying to comfort her and hold her back at the same time. “Who? Who needs your help, Mari? What’s going on?”

“A—” Marinette stopped herself. “Chat Noir…I need to help him.”

“You can’t,” Alya said, her voice soft and eyes sympathetic and sad. “You’ve apparently taken some nasty hits, and Marinette, you’re on oxygen for crying out loud. You need to rest. I'm sure that Chat Noir will be okay. He’s tough and I’m sure he’ll manage to find a way back to you.”

“B-But I—” Marinette was cut off as a nurse came bustling in, smiling kindly at Marinette when he noticed that she was awake. He checked over the numbers on the machines by Marinette’s bed and assured her that another dose of pain medicine would be administered from the IV within a minute or two so she could sleep some more. He told Alya to come find a nurse or doctor if anything happened or if Marinette needed anything, before he left the room.

“Alya,” Marinette said, her voice soft and strained. “Please, I have to know he’s okay.”

“I’ll look into it for you, Marinette,” Alya promised with a little smile. “I’ll call your parents and let them know you’re here. Then I’ll try to find Chat Noir. For now, you just need to rest, okay?”

“Okay,” Marinette whispered, feeling the pain medication starting to hit her. It was becoming harder to keep her eyes open as she blinked sluggishly up at Alya. “Promise me…you’ll find him.”

“I promise. Just rest.”

Marinette watched Alya walk over towards the door of the room, fiddling with her phone as she went. It was becoming harder and harder to stay conscious, even though Marinette was determined to stay awake and know what was going on. She felt useless, lying down and being told to rest and heal for the second time within a few hours. Adrien was somewhere, most likely hurt just like she was, but he was all alone.

By the time Alya had returned to her side, Marinette was asleep again.

* * *

“Yes, I’m still here with Marinette in the hospital,” Alya reassured Marinette’s distressed, frantic father over the phone. “The doctors said that she just has some bumps and bruises and that she’s a bit exhausted. There was something about needing some nutrients but she’s on an IV right now. They don’t sound worried so she sounds like she’s going to be fine.”

_“Are you sure?”_ Marinette’s father fretted.

“Positive. I think she just needs rest at this point. It was really just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when an akuma attack happened.”

_“Thank you so much for calling us, Alya,”_ Marinette’s father sighed. _“We’re on our way over to the hospital now. We’ll be there soon.”_

“Okay,” Alya turned to head back towards Marinette’s room. “I’ll still be here when you arrive.”

Hanging up, Alya pushed open the door to Marinette’s hospital room and wasn’t surprised at all to find her friend asleep once again. Sighing heavily as she sat back down beside Marinette’s bed, Alya ran a hand through her hair and shook her head.

“What am I going to do with you, Marinette?” she whispered. “I’m honestly not that shocked that you turned out to be Ladybug once I got to think about it, and it doesn’t take a genius to guess that Chat Noir is probably Adrien. I’ve never been too worried about Ladybug and Chat Noir before now. This is so dangerous…and there’s so much at stake now. Nino said he was going to look for Chat…so I guess he’s in on all of this now too.

“What I guess I’m getting at is…I’m scared for all of you. I just want you three to be safe, but I know that it’s not that easy. Just promise you’ll talk to me about this in the future now that I know. I’ll help you as much as I can.” 

Marinette remained asleep, but her head lolled unconsciously in Alya’s direction, an indistinguishable murmur leaving her lips as she did. Smiling fondly at her friend, Alya reached up to gently grasp Marinette’s hand on the bed. Giving her friend’s cool hand a little squeeze, Alya glanced down at her phone; eyes scanning over the last text Nino had sent her a half hour ago.

_At the old cathedral. No sign of Chat or HawkMoth yet. So far, it’s not looking good._

* * *

Chat Noir awoke with a painful jolt and a gasp, eyes blinking furiously in the too dim light as he tried to find something to focus on. It was hard to see, even with his Miraculous provided night vision. Either Plagg was too weak to provide the regular level of night vision, or Chat had hit his head and was struggling to focus on his own.

Groaning softly, Chat rolled onto his side and winced immediately, crying out softly at the pain that lanced up his left ankle. Several other parts of his body ached and screamed in protest with every move that he made. But all things considered, Chat was just glad that he was alive and mostly in one piece.

Reaching up to grasp at his ear lobes, Chat heaved an aching, heavy sigh of relief to find that the Ladybug earrings were still in place. Carefully, Chat took them out and tucked them into a little pocket on his suit, knowing he probably wouldn’t need them for now. He wasn’t even sure if they were still working at this point after the Harmonic Convergence stunt he pulled. If he was being honest with himself, Chat was stunned that his own Miraculous had been completely drained and left him as Adrien instead of Chat. 

Coughing into his elbow, Chat groaned at the ache in his body and tried to figure out just how he was going to get out of his current predicament. From a quick glance around, it appeared that Chat was currently buried under a very large pile of rubble. If he head to guess, it was probably what used to be the attic of the cathedral. All things considered, Chat counted himself lucky that his injuries and current situation weren’t ten times worse. This was probably the best case scenario in fact.

Trying not to jostle his ankle again, Chat winced and sat up as much as the cramped space created by the debris allowed him to. Coughing again, Chat was worried about how scratchy his throat felt. If his voice ended up being shot, calling for help wouldn’t do much for him.

“Shit,” Chat rasped out, the weight of his predicament finally starting to settle on his shoulders. He was essentially trapped and far too weak to get himself out. Even if he could use cataclysm, there was no telling how the rubble would be destroyed. It could just make his situation worse.

“Plagg,” Chat coughed. “Detransform.”

There was a brief flash of green and then Plagg was lying limply in Adrien’s lap. The little kwami wheezed out a breath and blinked wearily up at their host. Adrien felt his heart constrict at the sight of Plagg looking so exhausted.

“I’m so sorry, Plagg,” Adrien whispered. “Are you okay?” 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Plagg said, their voice hoarse and small. “You stopped Hawk Moth…you saved your friends. I’ll be okay.”

“I got us into this mess…” Adrien murmured. “I don’t even know if the others are okay. We’re stuck under all this rubble and no one knows we’re here.”

Plagg looked like they were about to answer, but before they could, there was a soft, distant noise from above them. The rubble sounded like it was shifting nearby, and Adrien’s heart started pounding wildly. He hoped they weren’t about to be buried even more, then there would be even less hope of getting out of here alive.

“Shit, shit,” Adrien muttered again.

“ _Chat? Chat Noir?_ ” A voice called above the debris; and Adrien knew that voice.

“Nino?” Adrien called as loudly as possible, which wasn’t very loud. His voice rasped uncomfortably in his throat and he coughed harshly. Black dots danced across his vision, probably from the lack of oxygen only being exacerbated by the coughing. It was louder than his voice was, however, so in the back of his mind Adrien hoped Nino could hear him.

“ _Chat?_ ” Nino’s voice was practically on top of them now from the sound of it. Adrien kept coughing. 

The rubble shifted above Adrien’s head, and he immediately scooped Plagg into his hands, trying to protect the kwami from any lose rocks that might fall on them from the movement. The little kwami made a noise of protest at the movement, but Adrien tucked Plagg close to his chest and tried to press up against one of the larger pieces of debris for protection. The movement jostled his ankle though, and Adrien cried out sharply as the pain lanced violently up his leg. 

There was static in Adrien’s ears and his vision was getting darker by the second. He could feel his heartbeat in his temples and it was a throbbing, aching pain that made Adrien want to cry. He kept Plagg close to his chest anyway, hoping that if he could do anything, he could protect his kwami. There were faint voices in Adrien’s hearing, beneath the static, trying to pull him closer to the consciousness he was gradually slipping away from.

But Adrien was already unconscious.

* * *

“Papa,” Marinette sighed for what felt like the millionth time in the hour since her parents had arrived at the hospital. “I promise, I’m fine now. I just need to rest.”

“Darling, we’re worried about you,” Marinette’s mother insisted before her father could even open his mouth to continue his own fretting. “Why did the doctor say that you needed nutrients? It sounds like there was something wrong before you got hurt. Are you not telling us something?” 

“Mama,” Marinette reached out and grabbed her mother’s hand gently. “I was stressed last week trying to finish the dresses for the ball and do my school work, so I probably wasn’t eating enough. It was an accident and it won’t happen again. But I feel fine now, I swear to you.”

Marinette’s parents looked at each other, their faces full of concern as Marinette’s mother squeeze her daughter’s hand between her own.

“Okay,” Marinette’s father sighed finally. “We believe you, we’re just worried. This has never happened before, so we were very unprepared for Alya to call us.”

“I know,” Marinette smiled gently at them. “She beat the hospital in contacting you both, so I’m lucky that she was here with me. And—”

Alya burst into the room, eyes wide and chest heaving as she rushed to Marinette’s side. Ignoring the shocked exclamations of Marinette’s parents, Alya grabbed Marinette’s arm and it was only once her friend was right next to her that Marinette saw the tears in Alya’s eyes. Alarmed, Marinette sat up straighter and grabbed Alya’s hand.

“What? What is it, Alya? What’s wrong?”

“Nino found him. He just brought him here and they took him to the back. We can’t see him yet, but Mari he didn’t look good.” Alya’s voice broke and she hiccupped softly around a sob. 

The sound of her parents fretting over who ‘him’ was, what was going on, all drowned out into the background as white noise. All Marinette could hear was the pounding of her own pulse as she tried to understand what Alya had told her. She had known it might be bad, she had only dared to hope a little bit that he would be fine, but she hadn’t exactly prepared herself to deal with the fact that he might really not be okay at all.

“Adrien,” Marinette’s voice whispered from her constricted throat. Fumbling with her blankets and IV line, Marinette tried to get out of bed. She had to get to Adrien. She didn’t care where he was; she had to get to him. She needed to see him.

“Marinette, hang on, hang on,” Alya’s voice was in her ear. She could feel her friend’s warm hands helping her to sit down and Marinette wanted to fight back. She didn’t want to sit down; she needed to go find Adrien.

“I’ll get you there,” Alya promised. “Just sit tight and take a deep breath.” 

After a few moments of breathing deeply, Marinette managed to focus again. She realized that Alya had helped her into a wheelchair, her IV bag hanging on a little pole behind her as her friend pushed the wheelchair down the hall of the hospital.

“Alya,” Marinette sobbed quietly. “W-What happened?”

“Nino found him underneath some of the rubble from the attic,” Alya said just as quietly. “He said that Adrien was awake when he found him, but he passed out not too long after. Adrien’s been back there for about ten minutes now.”

“What did you mean,” Marinette choked out, voice breaking. “What did you mean when you said Adrien didn’t look good? How bad?”

“He looked really pale and bruised,” Alya whispered. “He was bleeding and they had him on oxygen before he was even taken to the back.”

“I shouldn’t have left him,” Marinette sobbed harshly. “I shouldn’t have let him do that, but I did. And then I left him there. I failed him, oh my god, Alya what if he—”

“Marinette, stop,” Alya’s voice sounded panicked as the wheelchair came to a stop and Alya kneeled in front of Marinette. Grabbing her friend’s hands, Alya shook her head quickly. “He’s going to make it, and he’s going to be okay. You didn’t fail him. Let’s just go meet up with Nino and see how long it might be until we can see Adrien.”

Wiping weakly at her watering eyes, Marinette nodded and let Alya keep pushing her down the hallway. Things were fairly quiet, the nurses bustling around not really giving off the sense that there was an emergency, and it helped Marinette to calm down at little. As they rounded a corner to the waiting room, Nino spotted them and started to walk over.

“Marinette,” he gave her a strained but relieved smile as he bent down to give her a hug. “I’m glad to see you awake again.”

“Thank you for everything you did, Nino,” Marinette replied sincerely, holding onto one of her friend’s hands and giving it a gentle squeeze. “For me and for Adrien.”

Nino gave Marinette that strained smile again, but before he could speak, a small black creature whizzed out from behind Nino and landed comfortably in Marinette’s lap. Startled, Marinette almost shooed what she thought might be a bug away before realizing that it was not actually a bug at all.

“Plagg?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”

“I took Adrien’s ring off, hoping that it might stop drawing energy from him so that he could recover faster,” Nino interjected. He produced the Miraculous from his pocket and handed it over to Marinette, along with her earrings.

“These were in his pocket,” Nino explained. “I thought Plagg would go back into the ring once I took it off Adrien, but they stayed out here instead. I’m not sure where your kwami is, Marinette.”

“Tikki,” Marinette murmured, staring down at the earrings nestled in her palm. She didn’t know if putting the earrings back on would make her condition worse or better or not change it at all, but she was desperate to know if Tikki was safe.

“Plagg,” Marinette looked down at the little cat. “If I put these on, will I be okay?”

Looking at the earrings in Marinette’s hand for a few, quiet moments, Plagg eventually nodded, their bright green eyes looking tired and older than Marinette had ever seen them. Taking a deep breath, Marinette quickly fastened the little jewels into her ears and closed her eyes. There was no pink flash behind her closed eyelids, there was nothing. Marinette felt her heart sink into her stomach, as both Nino and Alya also remained quiet beside her. This couldn’t be happening…she couldn’t have lost Tikki because of this. She would never be Ladybug again. She would never—

“Mari…nette…”

Eyes flying open at the tiny, exhausted voice, Marinette immediately started crying at the sight of her tiny kwami curled up sleepily in her lap beside Plagg. Tikki looked as exhausted as Plagg did, but they were both there and relatively okay despite everything that had happened.

Alya’s hand was on her shoulder, gently trying to rub comfort into Marinette’s shaking frame as she scooped Tikki into her hands and pressed the little kwami to her cheek.

“Tikki,” Marinette hiccuped. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I never should have let this happen. Everyone is hurt now because I let this happen. I should have found a way to defeat Hawk Moth without letting Adrien use the Harmonic Convergence. This is all my fault.”

“Marinette,” Tikki whispered sleepily. “Stop it. There was no other way. Plagg and I are both fine, and Adrien will be too. You have to stay positive, okay?”

“Tikki…” Marinette tried to protest, bringing the kwami down from her cheek so she could look at the little creature properly. Before she could continue though, Tikki shook their head wearily, but their eyes were bright and fond.

“You did everything you could, Marinette,” Tikki promised softly. “I’m proud of you.”

Marinette started to cry all over again, drawing Tikki and this time Plagg as well into a little hug. Alya and Nino exchanged tiny smiles before Alya pushed Marinette’s wheelchair over to the waiting chairs nearby. Sitting beside Nino, Alya tucked herself into his side and slid her hand into his. Intertwining their fingers, Alya heaved a tired sigh and relaxed as Nino’s arm looped around her shoulders comfortingly.

“So,” Alya murmured, glancing sideways at Marinette who was now speaking quietly with Plagg and Tikki. Thankfully the waiting room was empty aside from them, so they hadn’t had to worry about Marinette’s identity being exposed.

“So?” Nino replied, shifting to lean a little more against Alya and drawing her a little closer.

“You’re a Miraculous wielder now too, huh?”

Nino hesitated for a moment before he nodded where his chin was resting against Alya’s hair. “Yep,” he said softly.

“My boyfriend,” Alya chuckled softly. “A Miraculous wielder, a superhero.”

“You’re okay with that?” Nino asked softly. “Because if you aren’t, I can always give it back and have someone else wield it.”

“Why the hell would you give it up?” Alya asked incredulously, her fingers tightening around Nino’s.

“Well,” Nino started, his voice soft. “If you didn’t think it was safe, or you just didn’t want me to have it, you mean more to me than being a superhero does.”

Pulling back to look at Nino in shock, Alya shook her head in amazement at her boyfriend.

“You do know that I run the LadyBlog right? What in the world would make you think that I’m not okay with you being a superhero? Imagine all the interviews I could get for the blog! Plus, you could probably get into some pretty cool places and take me with you on dates.”

“Alya,” Nino chuckled, eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.

“In all seriousness,” Alya giggled. “I’m so wildly proud of you, Nino. And I know it’s dangerous, but I also trust that you know your limits. Just don’t keep secrets from me about what’s going on, because I can handle it. I’m going to be here for you, okay? All of you, for that matter.”

“Alya,” Nino said, voice soft as he searched his girlfriend’s expression. “You are completely and truly amazing, do you know that?” 

“Yes,” Alya said, though her cheeks were rapidly turning a bright shade of pink. “You could stand to say it more, though. It sounds nice when other people acknowledge it.”

Laughing quietly, Nino leaned in and kissed Alya’s cheek fondly. Alya leaned into the kiss before tucking herself back into Nino’s side, her head resting comfortably against his chest.

“What would I do without you?” Nino asked, his voice rumbling gently in Alya’s ear from where she was leaning against him. It was a comforting and soothing sound, easing some of the tension that she felt about not knowing how Adrien was doing. 

“Live an extremely boring and mundane life, probably.” 

* * *

It wasn’t until a half hour later that a nurse came wandering out from the back into the waiting room. Spotting the only three people in there, she immediately started towards them, asking quietly if they were there for Adrien Agreste. If Marinette hadn’t been so exhausted, she likely would have shot up to her feet from where she was sitting. Instead, she perked up, her hands and the blanket that Alya had fetched to drape over her lap hiding the sleeping kwami there.

“Adrien is going to be just fine. We’re a little worried that he might have a concussion, but we won’t know for sure until he’s awake again. For now, we set his ankle since it was broken and bandaged him up. Our tests that have come back so far show that there thankfully wasn’t any internal damage. We’re still waiting on the blood tests to come back, but just to be safe, we’ve give him an IV line.”

Marinette wanted to cry again, relief coursing through her so suddenly that she felt like she couldn’t breathe for a moment. Distantly, she registered that Alya and Nino were speaking with the nurse, asking if they could go see Adrien now and how long they thought it might be before he woke up. 

The nurse reassured them that he should wake up within an hour as the pain medication and anesthetic wore off, provided that Adrien was ready to wake up. They were allowed to see him, but only one person could remain overnight, according to the kind nurse. The next thing Marinette was able to process was Alya pushing her wheelchair into Adrien’s hospital room as Nino held the door open for them.

Seeing Adrien laid out on the large hospital bed looking pale and exhausted pulled at something fierce in Marinette’s chest. She covered her mouth with one hand and tried not to cry again; she was getting tired of all the tears she was shedding. The monitor beside Adrien’s bed beeped steadily, reassuring Marinette that Adrien would be okay. Plagg poked their head out from under the blanket and immediately tried to get to Adrien.

Scooping the little kwami into her hand, Marinette helped Plagg get to the bed where they immediately curled up against Adrien’s soft, golden hair. Marinette rubbed at her exhausted, aching eyes before glancing over at Nino and Alya.

“I think I need to go back to my room…I don’t want to leave him though.”

“I already called my parents,” Nino interjected quietly. “I’m going to stay here with him overnight. We tried to call his house, but no one answered.”

Marinette felt her lips tug into a frown at that. Shouldn’t _someone_ have answered the phone? There was a household staff there, surely one of them could have picked up.

Shaking her head with a sigh, Marinette looked back to Adrien’s sleeping face. Reaching over, she grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll come back tomorrow morning to see you, _mon chaton_ ,” she murmured. “Sleep well.”

Alya kissed Nino goodbye before she grabbed Marinette’s wheelchair and started to take her back down the maze of hallways to her room. She promised Marinette that she would be back the following day to visit.

“I have to go home and help mom take care of my sisters,” Alya explained. “Your parents offered to take me back home since they said they wanted to get some things for you at your house.”

Marinette smiled a little, glancing down at the sleeping Tikki in her lap as she did. 

“Make sure you sleep tonight,” Marinette said quietly. “We’ve all been through a lot.”

“You’re so brave, Mari,” Alya murmured after a moment of silence. “I knew that you were courageous before, but now that I know about everything else, you’re just so much braver than I ever imagined you could be.” 

“You’re brave too, Alya,” Marinette said, twisting around a little to look at her friend. “You always run towards danger and you always speak your mind. I always tried to be a little more like you whenever I was Ladybug. Thank you for being my friend, Alya.”

Alya looked stunned for a moment, lips parted slightly as she glanced down at Marinette in surprise. Eventually flushing and looking back up at the direction they were going, Alya mumbled something that sounded like embarrassed thanks. Marinette giggled and looked back down at Tikki. The little kwami was dozing comfortably under the blanket in Marinette’s lap. She was worried about how drained both Tikki and Plagg appeared, but the fact that they were both okay was more than enough for Marinette at this moment.

Once Alya had wheeled her back to her room, Marinette’s parents fussed over her for a little while longer – making sure she was comfortable, warm, and not in any pain – before they each kissed her cheek in farewell. Marinette asked her mother to feed Nuit and let him sleep in her parents’ room that night so he wouldn’t feel lonely. She had only left her kitten earlier that same evening, but it felt like forever. They left with Alya a little while later, casting worried glances over their shoulders the whole way out of the room. Marinette sighed and leaned back into her pillows, picking absently at the tape on her arm that secured her IV in place. It was really itchy and pulled at her skin in a funny way.

“Marinette,” Tikki mumbled from where they were curled up on her thigh. “Stop picking at that. You’ll make it come loose.”

Sighing, Marinette wiggled a little, wincing in pain as she tried to get more comfortable. She left the tape alone, knowing that Tikki was right. She was just anxious and worried about Adrien. The nurses had said that he would be fine, but he hadn’t woken up yet, so things could still take a turn for the worse.

“Go to sleep, Marinette,” Tikki said gently, the kwami already halfway to sleeping themselves.

“Good night, Tikki,” Marinette yawned, closing her eyes and letting herself drift away to sleep, exhaustion helping her to drop off quickly. 

* * *

_“You are…so young,” a gentle, hushed voice spoke. It pushed carefully through the darkness of Marinette’s mind, pulling her gently towards the source.  
_

_“Who…?” Marinette’s voice croaked in her head._

_“Rest, child,” the voice said. “I mean you no harm. I merely came to thank you and your companion. However, I am unable to reach him at the moment. I believe whatever herbal concoction your modern healers have given him interferes with my ability to communicate with him.”_

_“Adrien?” Marinette’s mind murmured._

_“Yes, little one,” the voice spoke, warmth obvious in their tone. Marinette still could see nothing but darkness, but the voice was so kind that she wasn’t scared of this._

_“You have freed my spirit, and you have helped Psyche find their way back to your mentor. The Harmonic Convergence righted the wrongs surrounding Psyche and their Miraculous. We both thank you for that.”_

_“Hetepheres?” Marinette realized._

_“You know my name,” Hetepheres sounded pleased. An invisible warmth stroked Marinette’s cheek gently, like a mother comforting her child. Marinette felt comforted and she smiled in her dream._

_“Thanks to you and your partner, my soul may now join my family’s in rest. Things will be slightly altered from what you knew before the Harmonic Convergence, but it is better this way. Your partner believes he knew certain things, but he will find that all changed. I cannot tell you what, since you will both find out soon enough. It was a price that unfortunately had to be paid to balance out the actions caused by the Harmonic Convergence.”_

_“W-What?” Marinette stuttered out, feeling overwhelmed and confused by Hetepheres’ cryptic wording. “What do you mean? Why can’t you tell me?”_

_“Easy, child,” Hetepheres soothed her. “Things as they are now are not dangerous nor harmful. However, I believe what has transpired in light of using your combined powers will be rather shocking. Most will not know that things are different, but for those of you that know of the Miraculous, you will always remember what things were like before.”_

_Hetepheres’ presence began to fade and Marinette found herself reaching desperately for someone she couldn’t even see. Her invisible hands groped in the darkness for the source of Hetepheres’ voice._

_“Wait! Please, don’t go!”_

_“I must, dear child,” Hetepheres sounded farther away, but still gentle. “Thank you, again. I will always watch over you and your partner.”_

_Hetepheres’ presence faded entirely and Marinette was left on her own in the darkness of her dream._

* * *

Marinette woke slowly, her chest feeling light, like a burden had been lifted from her heart. But when she reached up to rub at her eyes, she found her cheeks wet with tears. Confused for a moment, Marinette suddenly remembered the soothing cadence of Hetepheres’ voice and panicked a little. Hetepheres had said that whatever had changed because of Adrien’s use of their powers wasn’t dangerous, but the unknown outcome made Marinette anxious.

“Adrien,” she mumbled. Making sure Tikki was still sleeping comfortably, now tucked up against the edge of Marinette’s pillow; she pushed the blankets off her legs. Stumbling out of bed and hooking her IV bag to the pole of the wheelchair, Marinette found she had more strength than she did yesterday. She was able to wheel herself down the hall towards Adrien’s room without the need of someone pushing her.

Rolling into Adrien’s room, she felt her heart sink a little at the sight of Adrien still sleeping peacefully in his hospital bed. He looked like he had more color than he did yesterday when Marinette saw him, but she was disappointed that he hadn’t woken up yet.

Moving herself to sit at his side, Marinette reached up to take his hand between her own. Giving his digits a gentle squeeze, Marinette sighed quietly and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. Plagg was sleeping soundly, half hidden from where they had curled up in Adrien’s golden hair that was splayed against the pillow.

“Please wake up, Adrien,” she murmured. “I need to know you’re okay. I was so, so scared when I didn’t know what had happened to you. And now I still don’t know what you did or how you used the Harmonic Convergence. I met Hetepheres in my dream last night, and she said everything would be fine, but that we would probably be shocked about the outcome of things. I don’t know what that means, but if you were awake maybe we could figure it out together.”

Marinette half hoped that she would look up from where she had been fiddling with Adrien’s fingers and see him awake and watching her, like in the movies. But when she did, his eyes were still closed and he slept on.

“ _Mon chaton,_ ” Marinette whispered, her voice thick with tears. “Please wake up.”

There was a sudden commotion from outside the door and Marinette twisted a little to look over her shoulder. Her fingers tightened subconsciously around Adrien’s. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to transform if something was attacking outside, so she just hoped that everything was okay.

“Where is he?” a voice asked, muffled from the door. “Where is my boy, let me see him!”

Marinette could hear a nurse calming the distressed owner of the voice and so she turned to look back at Adrien. It wasn’t an attack, just a distressed relative. Marinette was still high-strung from the events of the past day. Sighing, she pressed another gentle kiss to Adrien’s knuckles and wished for him to wake up soon.

The sound of the door opening had Marinette turning around again. A woman stood in the doorway, her long blonde hair spilling over one shoulder in delicate, golden waves. Her eyes were strikingly green and full of distress as her gaze landed on Adrien and Marinette.

The breath left Marinette’s lips for a moment in shock. She had seen this woman before, and the fact that she was here now must have been what Hetepheres was referring to in her dream. Before Marinette could utter a word to the woman, Adrien’s weak, raspy voice spoke from the bed beside her.

“Mom?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much shorter than the others and I do apologize for that, but I've had a lot going on recently and you all deserve an ending, even if it's not the one I pictured. Thank you all so, so much for sticking with me throughout this monster. I hope you all enjoyed the story <3

Adrien’s mother was in tears, her ponytail falling loosely over her shoulder in a golden spill as she rushed to the other side of her son’s hospital bed. Marinette could only stare at the woman in awe, Adrien giving his mother a similar look. He probably thought it was an effect of the drugs, but Marinette was seeing her too. It took a few moments for Adrien’s mother to look at Marinette, but when she did, her eyes were soft.

“Oh, Marinette. I’m glad you’re all right, too. How could this have happened?”

Marinette was surprised that Adrien’s mother knew who she was, before she remembered Hetepheres’ words about things being altered. If Adrien’s mom appearing meant that she had been around the whole time in her memories, then it wasn’t too surprising that she would know who Marinette was.

“H-Hello, Mrs. Agreste…” Marinette stuttered out quietly.

“Mom,” Adrien croaked, his eyes looking misty as he kept staring at the woman. His mother’s nimble fingers reached up to cup her son’s cheeks, wiping away the tears there. “Mom…how are you here? Where’s father?”

“Oh, sweetie,” Mrs. Agreste’s voice was kind but she looked pained. “You’re probably just confused from the medicine. Your father’s been gone for years, remember?” 

Marinette felt like the world had dropped out from under her for a moment. Adrien’s expression told of the same feeling, shock coursing through the both of them at his mother’s words. If what she was saying was true, then the effects of the Harmonic Convergence had gained Adrien one parent and lost him another. The only question was, why?

“Mom…” Adrien sobbed out eventually, his cheek tipping into her warm, soft hand as the woman continued to comfort her son as best she could. She fret over him, wiping away his tears as they came and running her fingers through his messy hair. Marinette watched as Adrien’s mother continued her ministrations in calming Adrien down enough for him to stop crying. The whole time, Marinette held Adrien’s other hand, running her thumb back and forth across his knuckles.

“I’m going to go find your doctor, _chaton_ ,” Adrien’s mother spoke softly, standing from the edge of the bed and running her fingers through her son’s hair once again. “I need to know when you’ll be discharged and if we need to pick up any medicine for you.”

Adrien looked scared for a moment, like he was afraid this was a dream and if his mother were to leave, he would wake up and never see her again. But he couldn’t do much to stop her, and so he lay there, squeezing Marinette’s hand firmly as his mother smiled over her shoulder and left the room. Marinette gave Adrien’s hand a little squeeze as he choked on a sob the moment his mother left.

“Mari…” Adrien whispered hoarsely. “What’s going on? How is my mother here? Where’s my father?”

Shaking her head, Marinette tried to recover from her shock enough to explain her thinking. They were both beyond confused, but Adrien probably felt it even more so because Hetepheres hadn’t been able to warn him the way she had with Marinette.

“I-I don’t really know what happened…but I had a dream last night. Hetepheres was there and she thanked us for freeing her…she said that the Harmonic Convergence changed things, and only the people who know about the Miraculous would remember how things were before that. I don’t know why things turned out this way, why your father and mother seemed to switch places. It’s all so…mixed up.”

Looking up, Marinette was startled to see a look of horror slowly dawning across Adrien’s face. Frantic, she grabbed his hand in both of hers and leaned forward in her wheelchair. Adrien’s breathing had picked up and he looked like he was about to start crying all over again, and she wanted to take his pain away.

“Adrien? Adrien, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s my fault,” Adrien choked. “He’s gone and it’s all my fault. I did this I did this to him. I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know that it was him. I thought…Plagg told me…”

“Adrien!” Marinette cried, her voice thick with desperation. He was hyperventilating and the heart monitor nearby was beeping frantically along with his increasing pulse. She tried to get him to calm down, to breathe, but it was like he couldn’t hear Marinette at all. There were doctors and nurses surrounding them suddenly, Adrien’s mother behind her and gently tugging her hands away from Adrien and pulling the chair back despite Marinette’s protests.

“Mari, sweetie,” Adrien’s mother knelt in front of her. “It’s going to be okay, they’re going to take care of him.”

Looking down into Adrien’s mother’s eyes, Marinette found uncertainty and fear there. But her voice was soft as she tried to help Marinette calm down. She moved and wheeled Marinette out of the room sitting down in a chair just outside Adrien’s door so she was eye level with Marinette.

“He’s going to be okay, sweetie,” Adrien’s mom said again. “The doctor’s will do their job and he’s going to be okay.” 

“He—” Marinette tried to say, voice breaking and making her start again. “He’s blaming himself for what happened to his dad. I don’t know why…but-but it’s not his _fault_. We don’t know what happened and—”

“What are you talking about? Marinette did you hit your head? You know that his father has been gone for almost seven years now. It had nothing to do with Adrien.”

“You don’t understand,” Marinette sobbed. “Things are so different now. You’re here…you weren’t here before, and HawkMoth doesn’t exist anymore and I don’t even know if Paris still needs us.”

“Marinette, sweetie I think you need to rest,” Adrien’s mother said softly. She looked worried, but she smiled softly at Marinette and gently ran a hand through Marinette’s hair like her own mother would. “I just called your parents and they’ll be here soon to visit you. I think Alya and Nino are down in the café, I’ll send them up to your room to keep you company so I can be here with Adrien, okay?”

Sniffling, Marinette nodded and felt herself shaking, trying to figure everything out quietly so she didn’t sound any more distressed or crazy then she already had. Adrien’s mother started to push her wheelchair back down the hallway towards her room, giving Marinette time to breathe and calm down and try to figure things out on her own.

“Are you okay if I leave you here by yourself until Alya and Nino get here?” Adrien’s mother asked, leaving Marinette in her wheelchair by the window. At Marinette’s nod, Adrien’s mother stood and planted a gentle kiss on the top of Marinette’s head, giving her a tiny smile before leaving the room. It was only two minutes later that Alya and Nino came rushing into the room and went immediately to Marinette’s side.

“What happened? What’s going on?” Alya asked immediately, sitting down in a chair nearby Marinette. “Adrien’s mom contacted us but didn’t really tell us what was going on. How is his mom here?”

“He-He started to breakdown,” Marinette whispered. “His dad is gone…his mom apparently took his place and we don’t know why. Hetepheres said that everything would be fixed because of how Adrien used the Harmonic Convergence, but…but why did it happen this way?”

“This is my fault,” Plagg’s little voice spoke up from Marinette’s bed. They had been sleeping there with Tikki, hidden in the folds of the blankets. Plagg now flew over to Marinette and sat on her thigh, looking guilty and ashamed.

“Plagg?” Marinette asked quietly. “How is this your fault? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I told Adrien that his father didn’t have a Miraculous, that his father wasn’t Hawk Moth. But…I was wrong. I couldn’t sense Psyche around Gabriel…but that was because he wasn’t always wearing the Miraculous stone. I only figured it out after it was too late. But Adrien used the Harmonic Convergence to wish that Hawk Moth had never existed, that this problem never arose. You and Adrien are still needed as Ladybug and Chat Noir for different reasons, but Hawk Moth as of now, has never existed. And I suppose that was fixed by making Gabriel and his mother switch places. Instead of Adrien losing his mother, he lost his father.”

“His father…was Hawk Moth?” Marinette whispered, shock numbing her almost completely. “But…how?”

Plagg shook their head, heaving out a tired sigh. “He just…was.” 

“I feel like we should have seen this coming,” Nino’s voice spoke quietly from beside Alya. When the others looked at him with varying levels of confusion and shock, Nino chewed at his lip for a moment before answering.

“I mean…his dad wasn’t exactly the best dude out there. He was neglectful; he cared more about his career than his son sometimes, and yeah, maybe he gave Adrien a career and everything he could have wanted in the material sense…but he wasn’t a good father. He tried to make amends sometimes from what Adrien has told me…but it was never genuine. That sounds like exactly the kind of man that would be Hawk Moth.”

Marinette felt her eyes getting glassy; thinking about everything that Adrien had endured because of his father only to find out that the same man was their mortal enemy? Marinette couldn’t imagine what Adrien had going through his head. Distantly, Marinette registered Alya hitting Nino’s shoulder and whispering harshly at him for being insensitive.

“It’s true though!” Nino protested. “I’m not saying that the dude deserved it, but I’m not surprised.”

“A-Adrien…” Marinette choked out, trying feebly to move her wheelchair away from Nino and Alya so she could try to get back to her boyfriend. “H-He needs me…I have to h-help him.”

“Mari,” Alya murmured, kneeling in front of her friend and trying to get her attention through the panicked haze that was slowly taking over Marinette’s consciousness. She scooped up Marinette’s hands into her own and ran her thumb carefully back and forth over her friend’s knuckles.

“We should get you back into bed so you can rest. I think the doctors are still with Adrien…so you should rest until he’s better, okay?” Alya’s expression was pinched, knowing how much Marinette was hurting. She hated to keep her friend away from Adrien, but there was nothing she could do to help.

A few minutes later, Marinette was back in bed, tucked carefully under the blankets and crying quietly against her pillow. Plagg and Tikki were curled up by her head on the pillow, looking forlorn but remaining quiet. Alya and Nino had left her to sleep, promising they would be back later. Marinette’s tears slowly subsided, leaving her to stare at the wall across from her until exhaustion finally dragged her eyelids closed.

* * *

“Mari?” A gentle voice called through the darkness. “Mari, sweetie, wake up.”

Blinking lethargically, Marinette groaned softly and stretched, wincing after a moment when the soreness finally registered in her limbs. Looking around, Marinette found herself face to face with Adrien’s mother, and everything came rushing back at once.

“A-Adrien,” Marinette stammered, panic starting to wake her up even more. She tried to sit up, but Emilie’s gentle hands stopped her. Gently pushing her back down, Emilie reached a hand out and pulled her fingers comfortingly through Marinette’s loose hair.

“He’s fine, dear,” she promised. “Adrien’s resting in his room, and the doctor’s say that what happened earlier was just a result of the panic from his confusion.”

Marinette wanted to protest that Adrien hadn’t been confused, that he had realized his wish was what allowed Emilie to be here at all. She wanted to Emilie that everything that was happening right now was so fundamentally different from what they had left behind merely a day ago. But she couldn’t, because Emilie wouldn’t understand. She didn’t know that she was the one who had been missing and not Gabriel.

“I can’t say I know exactly what’s going on,” Emilie’s voice broke through Marinette’s thoughts. “But this has to do with you two being Ladybug and Chat Noir, doesn’t it?”

Marinette stared openly at Emilie, her mouth opening and closing in shock. Unable to formulate a response for a moment, Emilie merely smiled sadly at Marinette’s expression.

“You must still be in shock and confused,” Emilie said gently, her hand rubbing soothingly up and down Marinette’s arm. “I’ve known about you two for almost a year now, remember? You and Adrien decided to tell me around the time you started dating, just so that everything was on the table. You probably also don’t remember that I’ve known Master Fu since before you two were born since I was a wielder too, right?”

Marinette choked on her breath for a moment. She wanted to scream out of frustration. Nothing was the same anymore and it was more than enough to drive her into feeling overwhelmed.

“It’s okay, darling,” Emilie spoke softly. “I know you’re feeling lost, probably because of whatever caused you and my son to end up in the hospital like this. But whatever you remember, we’ll work with it, okay? You aren’t in danger anymore, so you can relax and just heal for now. We can all go talk to Master Fu once you and Adrien are feeling better, okay?”

Finding her voice, Marinette managed to choke out a quiet, strained, “okay,” making Emilie smile. 

“Your parents were here earlier while you were still asleep,” Emilie continued. “They stayed for a while but I told them to go home and rest. I also talked to the doctor about an hour ago. He said that since both you and Adrien are more stable, we can move you into one room to make visiting and communication a little easier for everyone. They’ll probably come to move you soon since you’re awake now. Is that okay?”

“Yes,” Marinette managed, feeling confused and listless. She hated this feeling of helplessness that was slowly numbing her. Nothing made sense anymore.

“Just hang in there, sweetie,” Emilie reassured her softly, standing from the edge of the bed and placing a gentle kiss on Marinette’s forehead. “You’ll feel better soon.”

* * *

“Marinette?” Adrien’s voice was quiet and hoarse from above Marinette’s head. She hummed quietly in response, not bothering to lift her head from where it was resting against Adrien’s chest.

“I’m sorry, for everything.”

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Marinette forced herself to lift her head and look her boyfriend in the eye. She still didn’t say anything, but Adrien continued anyway. 

“I took everything away from you, and you must be feeling so confused and lost and betrayed. I didn’t mean to ruin everything. I didn’t mean to make you feel this way, and I didn’t think it would cost me my father and everything that we knew, but this is all my fault and I don’t know what to do to fix it. I don’t think I _can_ fix it, and I’m so, so sorry for that. I wish I could, I wish I could give you back everything you understood so that it wasn’t—”

“Adrien,” Marinette spoke for the first time since waking up hours ago. After the conversation with Emilie, Marinette hadn’t been able to find it in herself to hold conversation. The nurses had moved her quietly into Adrien’s room, and she had promptly crawled into bed with Adrien the second he had woken up. They had just been lying there together for hours since then.

“None of this is your fault,” she rasped. “You were just making the best choice you could have at the time. What you did saved us, and saved a lot of people too, at that. Everything that happened with Hawk Moth, all those people he hurt, none of that happened. You did well.”

“It doesn’t feel like I did,” Adrien hiccupped. “It feels like I’ve made everything worse. I mean, sure I have my mother back, and we’re okay, but everything’s so different now.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Marinette countered. “Your mom is really nice, and Alya and Nino are okay, we’re going to be okay, and things seem a lot more peaceful than they ever did before. It’s all so confusing right now because it’s so new. But I think we’ll be okay in the long run. Sure, I don’t like feeling this powerless and helpless, but we’ll get used to the way things are now. We can do it together, okay?”

Adrien looked surprised, his gaze flickering with shock and some other emotion that Marinette couldn’t pinpoint.

“Y-You don’t want to leave me? Even after I made this mess?”

“ _Chaton_ ,” Marinette couldn’t hide her surprise. “What in the world made you think I would ever want to leave you? You’re my partner, my best friend, and my boyfriend; so why would you think I would give up on you so easily? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It feels like I did everything wrong,” Adrien murmured, tears gathering visibly in his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything right.”

Alarmed, Marinette forced her tired limbs to sit up, carefully dragging Adrien up with her. She was careful of his injuries as she pulled him into her arms and held him against her shoulder. One of her hands found her fingers tangled in his messy blonde locks, and the other wrapped firmly around his narrow waist. It took a few moments of stillness before Adrien’s own arms were wrapping around her waist. He burrowed his nose into her shoulder and sniffled quietly, obviously trying to hold back his tears.

“Adrien Agreste,” Marinette murmured into his shoulder. “You have never once disappointed me or done something wrong that hasn’t been forgivable or fixable. You are so bright sometimes it’s like looking at the sun. You’re human, and you’re allowed to make mistakes. Do you understand?”

At Adrien’s miniscule nod, Marinette continued. “I know you’re blaming yourself for what happened with your father. Even though you were the one who made the choice, you didn’t know that he was Hawk Moth. You didn’t know this would happen, so this is not your fault. You did what you thought was best – what _was_ best in the situation – and I will never hold you responsible.”

Adrien was quiet for a few, long moments before he murmured into her shoulder, “I don’t deserve you, m’lady.”

Marinette gently pushed Adrien back so she could tap his nose fondly. She shook her head at him and muttered a fond, “idiot,” under her breath. Laying them both back down and cuddling up to Adrien again, Marinette sighed softly and let her eyes close.

“Sometimes I think I don’t deserve you, but then I remember how well we work together. So let’s just settle with we deserve each other, okay?”

Adrien chuckled quietly above her, his arms winding around her shoulders, his IV tugging slightly as Marinette shifted to accommodate the wire.

“Sounds fair, my lady.”

* * *

“Marinette! Adrien’s here! Are you ready?”

“Almost! I’ll be down in a minute, mama!” Marinette called back, quickly brushing her hair up into a bun and pinning it in place. Securing her earrings in place, Marinette gave one last glance at her make-up before grabbing her purse and heading towards the stairs. Straightening her dress before she started down, Marinette made sure that Tikki was satisfied at her desk, munching on a couple cookies as they saw Marinette off.

“Oh, Marinette,” her mother sighed upon seeing her daughter coming into the living room. “You look so lovely.”

Marinette blushed under the attention, especially after Adrien looked over at her from where he was talking with her father. She had unearthed one of her favorite pink sundresses from the previous year, and it luckily still fit. While it did show off the pale scars on her upper arm from the Hawk Moth incident a month prior, Marinette found she couldn’t be self conscious about them. Especially not when Adrien looked at her as fondly as he was now.

“You look great, Mari,” Adrien beamed, holding out his hand to her. “Are you ready to head out?”

“Yes,” Marinette smiled, grabbing Adrien’s hand and feeling her heart flutter slightly at the way their fingers intertwined so naturally. “But you still haven’t told me where it is we’re going.”

“It’s a surprise, that’s why,” Adrien laughed. “But I promise you’ll love it.” 

“Be safe, you two!” Marinette’s father called, standing with her mother and waving happily as Adrien led Marinette from her house. They waved back as they left, hands still intertwined. Marinette let Adrien guide her through Paris, walking side by side as the sun arched down towards the horizon, painting the sky with soft pink and orange shades above them. Eventually, they reached the Seine, Adrien gesturing just down the riverbank to where his surprise was waiting. 

“Adrien…” Marinette whispered, a hand moving to cover her mouth in shock. “It’s beautiful!”

He had set up a small picnic for the two of them, the blanket in the grass surrounded by rose petals and candles that Nino and Alya were in the process of lighting. They looked up as Adrien and Marinette approached, looking very pleased with their work. Nino walked up to Adrien and the two of them bumped fists, Adrien thanking Nino quietly for helping.

“Girl, are you excited?” Alya whispered excitedly, grabbing Marinette’s hands. “He planned out this whole cute dinner. Isn’t that so sweet? How could I say no when he asked for our help setting it up?”

“Alya, it’s perfect,” Marinette gushed. “Thank you so much. You’re the best.”

“I know,” Alya chuckled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Now enjoy your evening. Nino and I are going out to a movie, so we have to head out so we don’t miss the beginning.”

Marinette waved her friend off, going to join Adrien on the blanket where he was pulling containers of food out of a little basket. He glanced up at her and blushed a bright pink. Giggling, Marinette tucked her legs to the side and smoothed out her skirt as Adrien set the basket aside and started pulling the lids off the containers.

“I wish I could be all romantic and tell you that I made all of this, but I asked your parents for help. I can cook, but not as well I wanted to be able to for you.”

“It’s fine, Adrien,” Marinette reassured him with a fond smile. “Just doing this is more than perfect. This is such a sweet idea.”

Leaning into his shoulder, Marinette took a deep breath, the smell of the river carrying on the gentle breeze that floated around them. Adrien’s arm wrapped around her waist, his hand resting securely on her hip as they sat together. It was the first time in what felt like a very long time that Marinette was at peace.

Not everything was perfect, of course. Adrien still had moments of guilt, sometimes devolving into panic attacks, but Marinette was there to help him in any way she could. Emilie didn’t understand everything, but she let them talk to her and did her best to help them. Marinette would have nightmares about the attack, and she would wake up in a panic, convinced that Hawk Moth would be coming for them.

Master Fu allowed Chloe and Nino to keep their miraculous stones, even if not all four heroes were necessarily needed anymore. It made division of the work whenever they _were_ needed easier, though.

“Are you alright, Marinette? You look like you’re thinking about something,” Adrien’s soft voice said from beside her. Lifting her head off of Adrien’s shoulder to smile warmly at him, she let the tension melt from her muscles.

Leaning in, Marinette kissed Adrien, long and slow and sweet, reveling in the fact that they were okay and together. Her fingers twisted loosely into the fabric of Adrien’s t-shirt, sighing against Adrien’s lips.

Pulling back after a suspended moment, Marinette beamed once more at Adrien and nodded.

“I’m absolutely perfect,” she reassured him. “Never better.”


End file.
